deficits. >> reporter: presidential improvement. >> i don't look at my pension, and it's not as big as yours. so it doesn't take as long. >> reporter: presidential victory. a time to look back at sports teams, disaster, promises kept, most troops out of iraq, sports teams, disaster. upheaval. gadhafi dead. sports teams, sports teams, promises broken. guantanamo still open. disaster, tragedy. ft. hood, tucson. >> our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. >> reporter: colorado, newtown. >> for those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on and make our country worthy of their memory. >> reporter: fiscal debate, fiscal discord, fiscal destiny. sports teams, sports teams, sports teams. >> now, where were we? >> reporter: we were here, just

about to start again. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look. >> our challenges are great, but our will is greater. >> there is nothing wrong with america that cannot be cured by what is right with america. >> the united states will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. >> all are equal. all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. the presidential inauguration is getting under way right here on the capitol, and we have a front row seat. >> here on the national mall, people are staking out their spot to experience this moment in history. >> the sun rises on barack

obama's second term. >> we gather because we have chosen hope over fear. unity over purpose. >> on this day, a public celebration of the presidency after a private oath the day before. >> so help you god? >> so help me god. >> on this capitol where so many battles have been fought and will be fought, political rivalries are being set aside in a show of democracy and unity for all the world to see. >> and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. we are and forever will be the united states of america. we're live here on the west front of the united states capitol for one of the grandest celebrations of democracy in the world. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer.

less than three hours from now, on this stage, right behind me, president obama will raise his hand and publicly take the oath of office. we'll show you that and every big moment of this inauguration day. we're learning about the sources of inspiration for the president's inauguration speech and the mistakes he wants to correct. and we're just minutes away from giving you a candid look at the obama family and their daily life in the white house. the first lady is planning some changes over the next four years. now take a look at this. across the national mall, right here in washington, hundreds of thousands of people are gathering. this is the way the president will see it right near the washington monument at the edge of the crowds, our own anderson cooper is standing by. anderson, a very exciting day. >> it certainly is, and the crowds are building around this area as well. a lot of people got here very, very early. they want to stake out a spot to

watch the inauguration. we have got cameras in place all across the national mall, along with teams of anchors and correspondents, including don lemon, robin meade, and christi paul. first, let's check in with robin meade. robin, what's happening where you are now? >> i'm standing here with a bunch of people from -- what states do we have? florida, new jersey, ohio. okay, we've got a lot of folks who are in this town making their way. i want to introduce you to, this is marcela; she's 70 years old. she is volunteering from california. why did you come all the way from california to volunteer? you've got to work. >> that's true. i thought this was a great opportunity for me to show my love for the president and for the country. it would probably be my last opportunity to see barack obama in office and to be a part of this whole historical event. >> so while you're working, what do you anticipate him saying

today in the speech? >> i think he'll talk about bringing the country together and the strides and -- >> just the goals. >> the goals of -- i'm sure he'll bring in martin luther king and the goals that he shares with him and with the country. and trying to get congress to work together to pass all the initiatives. >> marcela, you have the whole list ticked off in your head there. thank you so much for the work that you're doing today. everyone, we're back to work. say back to work. back to you. >> robin, thanks very much. everyone is due to arrive here at the capitol less than two hours from now. at this moment, he's beginning the start of his second term in prayer. our white house correspondent brianna keilar is outside st. john's church. that's right near the white house. our chief white house correspondent jessica yellin is on the national mall. brianna, let's go to you first. tell us what's going on.

what is about to happen? >> reporter: hi there, wolf. i am across from the church where president obama and mrs. obama are inside sitting, not in the traditional president's pew, but in the first row, as is the vice president and his family, and i want to show you, if this bus will move behind me, you can see over here the presidential limousine, the beast. once this service is over and we are told that it will be short and sweet, the beast is standing ready to whisk president obama and mrs. obama off to the capitol. >> brianna, thank you. let's go to jessica yellin. jessica, i understand you're learning some details about what the president will say. >> reporter: one insider insisted to me, wolf, that there is no challenge to be met today, no political test, but president obama considers this speech deeply meaningful, an important

opportunity, a chance to reset the political conversation, and aides concede to me, it's no easy task. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> reporter: a second inaugural, a second chance for president barack obama. he used his first address to issue a grim warning about the coming economic crisis. >> let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. >> reporter: that message was not well received. it clashed with the euphoric mood of a nation expecting hope and change. cnn has learned the president began working on this address with longtime speechwriter john favreau in mid-december. favreau writes, the president rewrites in the margins in long hand or on yellow pads. >> this is a historical event. you can't help but feel some pressure because of that, and a

desire to make those few minutes when you're up there count. >> reporter: inned t etoday's s don't expect policy details. that will come in the state of the union. instead, this address will be heavy on sweeping themes. among them, the responsibility that comes with citizenship. for inspiration, the president read this inaugural. >> ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. >> reporter: a second theme, a call for unity in a time of division. the president read bill clinton's second inaugural. >> will we all come together or come apart? >> reporter: and abraham lincoln's, delivered to a nation divided by civil war. >> with malice toward none, with charity for all. >> reporter: a third theme, renewing our commitment to the values of our founding fathers. perhaps it's surprising the president found inspiration in the words of this former a

adversa adversary. >> there can be no human rights without human liberty. >> reporter: aides tell us that, although the president disagrees with mr. bush's policy, he's moved by the speech's democratic principles. >> freedom by its nature must be chosen and defended by citizens. >> reporter: a message, aides say, the president will echo today, as he did at the white house last week. >> that most fundamental set of rights, to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. those rights are at stake. we're responsible. >> reporter: of all his predecessors, the president says he is most inspired by president lincoln. >> that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. >> reporter: in november, mr. obama screened steven spielberg's movie "lincoln" at

the white house theater. sources tell me, ever since, he's been quoting it around the west wing. >> lincoln is the patheosis of a uniter. >> reporter: and look for an acknowledgement of dr. martin luther king's vision on the day we honor the civil rights leader, a coincidence of timing that's not lost on the nation's first african american president. now, the speech was finalized over the weekend, but the president often makes final word changes up to the very end, and this time was no exception. i'm told that he made tweaks this morning, in fact. the president, i'm told, will speak for under 20 minutes. by reading prior inaugural addresses, he decided the shorter, the better. his last address was just over 18 minutes. his favorite two past inaugurals were kennedy's, which ran just under 14 minutes, and, of course, lincoln's second, which

at 700 words, had to be fewer than ten minutes. i'm told president obama had a quiet breakfast with the first lady and his daughters before going to church. anderson? >> let's talk about it with john king and gloria borger. what are you anticipating, john, hearing today? >> i think broad strokes. time to bring the country together. time to get through the tough economic times. i think it will be a cautious speech because of the uncertain environment. the president doesn't quite understand what's going to happen with republicans. he thinks maybe common ground on immigration with most, but there are confrontations looming. if he wants to go back for a big grand bargain and a legacy on medicare and entitlement ds, he has a fight with the democratic party. if you look around the world, is syria at a tipping point? what exactly is happening in north africa right now? he begins with an uncertain political situation in town and big question marks around the world. i think, as jessica noted, you save the nuts and bolts for the state of the union and try to get off to an optimistic start. >> the question is whether he

acknowledges the partisanship that exists in washington but then says, that doesn't mean you can't get anything done. just because we believe in different things sometimes doesn't mean we can't reach and find some common ground, which is obviously what he's got to do if he wants to get some of those ambitious agendas through. >> how much does he really say matter today? do we know there have been speeches throughout history that have resonated and people continue to quote john f. kennedy and others. paul begala wrote a piece in the daily beast the other day saying president obama should give lip service to unity and then go out and be ruthless afterward. >> that is a tough choice for the president. what does he want his strategy to be in the short window that second term presidents get, is it a year, 18 months, two years? by the 2014 mid term, the climate will change even more. people feel better about the direction of the country at any

point of his presidency, yet 49% of americans think the country is going in a good direction. so the president has to bring american people along at a time when they don't like this town, they don't like washington, and they're not totally in love with his first term. he just beat his rival in the election. >> people have lower expectations, so i think we're going to -- he may try and raise that a little bit. this will be a lot of poetry, and the state of the union address is going to be the prose where he really lays out the agenda. >> let's bring in the auth aror the book "barack obama the story" and margaret hoover, republican consultant and cnn contributor. david, what are you expecting to hear? >> i think there's a paradox here, which is that four years ago there were huge crowds and so much ebullience of the moment. he gave such a wintry speech. today there's smaller crowds, i

think he's giving a more optimistic speech. i think he feels he's in a much better place today than he was four years ago? >> cornell? >> i think we'll hear some of the things picked up from the campaign. he's got to talk about the economy, talk about the number one issue to americans, and that's jobs and expanding and growing the middle class. we're looking at a middle class that continues to shrink, and it's something that really bothers the president. >> this is a speech that talks about values. he's going to try to paint a vision for his next term. the danger is if he's too broad. it won't be memorable. so how does he keep it tight, have memorable lines, maybe a quotable nugget that we can take with us like blue states and red states, the united states of america. it's a high bar to set, but he's done it before. >> jessica, you've been covering him for a long time at the white house. is this a different man than he was four years ago, a different politician, a different president? >> we always saw barack obama, there was the professor, and there was barack obama, the competitor. since he's been in office, we've seen barack obama, the competitor, emerge as a more

dominant force. barack obama, the competitor, plays to win. we've seen him do more of the things it takes to win. we saw him return from his vacation in hawaii to fight congress just now on the bush tax cuts battle as opposed to three years ago, during the health care brawl, he hid away in martha's vineyard while that was exploding around the country. so he's doing those things you need to play to win. he's taking his case to the american people more aggressively. it is not different. when i interviewed him in 2007 on the bus in iowa, i covered him all through the campaign. i interviewed him before he won a single primary. he said to me on the bus in iowa, what i need to do if i become president is take my case to the american people and make them rally congress. >> it sounds, though, as a constant campaign is what we're looking to over the next four years, like a never ending campaign. >> this is what he always believed. going back to 2007, he always believed he needed to constantly rally the american people and

campaign. he understood that's how washington works. he just didn't always do it. and he's now realizing he has to always do it. >> david, do you think he's very different? >> as john and i know so well from covering clinton, the campaign has been a part of american politics for 20 years. barack obama thought he could get away without that, and he's learned the lesson that he has to do that. of course he's different. think about it. ten years ago, he was a state senator just getting into the majority in illinois. so he had really scant administrative experience before this, and he's had to learn on the job. >> that's a critical point. david has done brilliant work on both of our last two democratic presidents, the current one and clinton. clinton had been governor. he knew how to cut deals. mostly democrats in arkansas, but a democratic party that was more conservative in some ways. he had the chief executive experience. that's my bigger question for president obama the second term. what did he learn from the first abouti about being the boss? >> also, the idealism. this say president now that he's taking on guns. why didn't he do that during the

first four years? is there some sense that maybe i need to do the things that i didn't do and i wanted to do. >> in the midst of all this spectacle, michelle obama says she's keeping her kids grounded. we're going to peel back the curtain on the kids' daily routine and see how their lives have changed in the white house. and an interview with former secretary of state colin powell, as he would like to see an african american president who's a republican in his lifetime. first an inaugural flashback. we must be ready to dare all for our country. >> i think the reason so many inaugural speeches are not memorable is they're like graduation speeches. the president reaches for these large themes. we remember lincoln's. we remember fdr's. do we remember reagan's? >> let us begin an era of

national renewal. >> we remember jfk's. >> ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. >> sometimes they fall flat. it does depend upon the circumstance -- if there's a war, if there's a depression, those are the moelts that create great speeches in a certain sense, but it also depends upon the person being able to inject himself into that moment. ♪ [ male announcer ] every car we build must make adrenaline pump and pulses quicken. ♪ to help you not just to stay alive... but feel alive. the new c class is no exception. it's a mercedes-benz through and through. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services.

welcome back to our continuing coverage of the presidential inauguration. as you can see, the crowds are growing literally by the minute here. a lot of people very, very excited to be here. they woke up early on this cold, cold winter morning here in washington, d.c. the sun is shining, and the excitement is growing. that is the church where president obama and michelle obama, the first lady, are attending services, as is tradition on this day. then they will come here to the capitol, where they'll have a lunch before the swearing in begins. there's going to be a lot of performances.

beyonce will be performing, singing the national anthem. kelly clarkson will be singing as well as james taylor. let's a lot to look forward today, a day of pomp and pageantry, parades. it is going to be a moving, historic day. the fourth time that president barack obama has taken the oath of office. two the first time because the mistake made by chief justice john roberts. he also took the official oath of office yesterday. that was in a private ceremony, which we broadcast from the white house. let's check in with soledad o'brien. we've got correspondents stationed all over the national mall, all over the parade route, to give you a complete look at what is going to be happening today. stay with us throughout the day. soledad, what are you seeing? how crowded is it getting where you are? >> anderson, i have to tell you it's starting to get crowded because i have one of the best seats in the house except i don't really have a seat. i'm here with folks who have these coveted blue tickets. look at that and weep because they get to be in some of the most amazing seats. these are folks who either are

donors or related to people who are in elected positions, and they get to sit right in front of the president. right there is the balcony of the capitol where the president will take the oath of office. somebody else who gets to have a great seat in the house, if you're a celebrity. same thing, angela bassett with us, she's got a great seat. you've been very supportive of the president, and this is a thank you when you get to do this. >> absolutely. i've been a surrogate for the president this election. we finally made it. we're here on this miraculous day. >> and it's so much warmer than it was four years ago. >> it was cold last time. >> what do you want to hear from the president in his inaugural address, which many people are sort of trying to guess what he will say. >> i think it will be inspiring. it will be grand. it will be bold. i think he'll fire us up. >> looking forward to that. it's great to see you. our blue ticketed people, we're very, very, very jealous, anderson. >> yeah, everybody is jealous of

those seats. amazing. also, eva longoria is actually going to be on the podium behind president obama. she's co-chair of the inauguration. she has also been one of the main latino fund-raisers for president obama and was out on the campaign trail a lot for him. i interviewed her. she's becoming something of a power player out here in washington, d.c., according to "the wall street journal," which gave a front page story to her. let's also check in with don lemon, who's out on the national mall. how are people around you? >> reporter: a lot of people. they're actually keeping me warm. they're swarming us. that's where soledad is. that's how far down we are. the crowd is really picking up. i heard you, anderson, say earlier the crowd streaming in by the minute. if you look this far, you can see the monument down that end. that's the way they're coming in. they're coming in towards us. these guys who are with me drove all night on a bus from greenville, north carolina. amy and pat. how many people are with you?

>> 55. >> reporter: how was that bus ride? >> awesome. awesome and exciting. we are here to witness the great event that's going to take place on today, which is our president being sworn in, and once again, which is awesome. >> reporter: you're not exhau exhausted, amy? >> no. we're excited. obama! it's time for obama. >> reporter: you guys were screaming four more years earlier. >> yeah. i wish we could have four more years. >> this is history made all over again. >> reporter: were you here last time? >> yes. >> reporter: and you made the trek again? >> yes. >> reporter: we're excited that you're here. you're not cold? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: anderson, they have been standing out here trying to get on television for 30 minutes now. it was cold. they've been keeping me warm. we've been keeping each other warm. it's warmth in spirit and temperature-wise as well, anderson. back to you. >> there is a great vibe out there today. a lot of excitement. a lot of very happy people. people feel privileged just to be here to witness this historic day. let's check in with christi

paul, who's down in the crowds as well. christi? >> reporter: anderson, about an hour ago, i had room to breathe. you can see that has changed now. we've seen this contingent of people come in from all over the place. i talked to people from atlanta, georgia. a guy was here from colombia. another guy was here from ireland. i've got mr. trevor over here in seventh grade. he's here. what do you want to say? >> hi. hi, granny. >> reporter: he wants to say hi, granny. but they areall, of course, here to see president obama, and we have lindsey here too. she was here four years ago, and she said, even though the crowds obviously are not as big as they were last year, she's just grateful that she's going to get a better seat this time around. she may not have the blue tickets, but they're definitely going to get a little closer this year than they did four years ago. all of these folks, i've been seeing the hats, the flags, everything's crazy, and they're going to start dancing here too. wolf, take it away. >> christi, thank you very much. love the crowds over here.

as america's first african american president begins his term, today's public celebration falls on a very, very fitting holiday, honoring martin luther king jr. shannon travis is over at the mlk memorial here in washington. it must be very moving for so many folks over there, shannon. >> reporter: absolutely. for a number of people that i've spoken with, wolf, that are streaming in, rangers have told me that thousands of people have been visiting the monument all weekend. one family that i actually stopped and accosted to speak with is this family right here, wolf. it's three generations of a family from three different cities in the district of columbia, and this is the matriarch of the family. i'm going to ask you why it's so important to be here today, gloria? >> it's so important to be at the second inauguration of president obama that coincides with dr. king's holiday to represent the generation that's have gone before us. >> reporter: thanks so much for

talking with us. i hope you enjoy it. wolf, after this, they're going over to the mall to watch the swearing in. >> very appropriate moment. obviously, very fitting on this special, special day. thank you, shannon. certainly not easy getting around here in the nation's capital. right now not easy on the national mall up here on capitol hill. as you'd expect, security is very, very tight and for good reasons. there are now plenty of long lines. cnn crime and justice correspondent joe johns is over at one of the checkpoints. what's it like over there, joe? >> reporter: wolf, this is the yellow gate, as you can see, a lot of people. we just wanteded to give you some idea of the numbers of people. metro, which is the subway system here in washington, d.c., says about 113,000 people had passed through as of 8:00 this morning. that's running about one-third of what it was four years ago during the first inauguration of president barack obama. taking a look at the yellow gate here, if you can see through there, i just wanted to give you

an idea of the types of police officers who are doing this work. these are united states customs and border patrol agents who are checking the tickets, as it were, kind of ironic there. overall, as far as security goes, there have just been a few blips on the radar screen. a guy in a tree over the west front of the capitol where the inauguration is going on, he's causing some problems. last night, probably the most notable problem of all, about 50 or 60 marauding protesters tore up a couple of atms. the police say it was malicious, felonious destruction of property, but nothing serious. pretty quiet here so far. authorities say no trouble. they suspect it's going to be a smaller crowd, a much smaller crowd, or else people are just going to start showing up very late. wolf, back to you. >> let's just hope everybody is very well behaved. joe, thank you. the individual checkpoints for the inauguration crowd is just part of this huge, huge security plan. it's a massive undertaking

involving the police, the military, and so much more. cnn's tom forman has the big picture. >> reporter: the people in charge of security here won't tell us a whole lot about their plans, obviously, for security reasons, but there are some things we know that we can share with you. the first is that this is an absolutely massive job because the protection actually starts miles outside the city and tightens up as you move in toward the core. the secret service is in charge, but they have a lot of help because they have to really tighten down on the middle here. this area from around the washington monument and the white house to way up by the capitol, and they have some very specialized needs in here. for example, think about the president's parade route. when he leaves the capitol and heads up pennsylvania avenue, he's actually going to be going between tens of thousands of citizens, and in some sections he'll even be out and walking. guarding that distance takes a lot of bodies. that's why there will be about 10,000 active duty and national

guard troops here to help the secret service. in addition to that, there will be about 8,000 police officers from all sorts of agencies, including nearby states, the national park service, things like that, and they'll be doing many duties. there will be planes flying around to protect the air space. there will be boats on the river. there will be people on bike patrol, people with dogs looking for anything they can find. chemical threats, physical threats, disturbances in the crowd. it's a huge job and the demands are immense simply because, if you think about it this way, even if half as many people showed up as last time, that's still a million people in the heart of d.c. >> tom forman, thanks very much. the president and first lady and first family are getting ready to leave the church. they've been inside for a while over at st. john's episcopal church, the morning church that is a tradition on inauguration day. you'll see the first family

leave even if we're in a commercial break. so many people have gathered here. they're excited to see the first lady. they're also excited, obviously, to see the president. we're going to give you a new glimpse of the first family's private moments in the white house. we'll also give you exclusive access to the united states capitol and a tour of the place where the president will make his big entrance this morning. join the conversation on our live blog. go to cnn.com/conversation. first, this inaugural flashback. what's so extraordinary about lincoln's second inaugural is that here the north is finally on the eve of winning this long civil war. his next task is to bring the south back into the union. he talks about the fact that the sin of slavery was shared by

both sides. both sides read the same bible. both prayed to the same god. and then, of course, the words we remember, "with malice toward none and charity for all." lincoln knew that that inaugural spoke words that would be remembered. the one person who he wanted to know and get his approval from was frederick douglass, the abolitionist. douglass came over to him and said, mr. president, it's a sacred effort. t to make someone happy.♪ ♪make just one someone happy ♪and you will be happy too.

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♪ the staten island ps-22

chorus, made up of 65 fifth graders. they are performing here at the united states capitol as we get ready for the inauguration, the public inauguration, the swearing in ceremony, coming up here. let's listen in for a moment. ♪ ♪ let's go over to the st. john's episcopal church from the white house. the president and first family, they are getting ready to walk out. you see the president and his daughters. they are leaving the morning service. this is a tradition. the president typically -- the

president obviously not wearing an overcoat, as i think he should be wearing an overcoat. that's just me. brianna keilar, our white house correspondent, is over there. brianna, go ahead and tell us what's going on. >> reporter: hi there, wolf. the first family is heading out at st. john's church getting ready to be whisked away. pastor andy stanley of north point community church in alpharetta, georgia, gave the sermon, and he called president obama the pastor in chief and said that he should use his power, leverage his power for the benefit of others. also, wolf, just a note on what you saw the first lady wearing because i know a lot of people are curious about this. we're told it is a thom browne coat and dress, obviously navy blue. the fabric inspired by a men's silk tie. i will tell you it's not the first time we've seen her wearing this designer. she wore this at the dnc at the convention, as well as the final night of the debate. we're also watching the second

couple, vice president joe biden and his wife jill biden, get in their limousine so they can head up in the motorcade to the capitol. you saw president obama and the first lady getting into the beast, the armored presidential limousine. they will ride separately up to the capitol from their daughters sasha and malia, who appear to be riding in this motorcade along with their grandmother, marion robinson, who is the mother, of course, of michelle obama, wolf. >> brianna, stand by for a moment. i want to keep these pictures up if we can, also pictures from the capitol. we are here on the united states capitol. we're awaiting the arrival of the president. should be coming up soon. kate balduan is here, david gergen is here. the day is enormous. whether you're a democrat or republican, you feel it from where we are. >> you sure do. it's a gorgeous day.

it's brisk, but it's not freezing. the sun is gleaming on the capitol. you have these throngs of people. you can look all the way down the mall and see them. it's not as big as last time, but when you compare it to other inaugurations of other presidents, this is still a massive inauguration. there's a feeling in the air, once you get past security, people are just happy to be here. they have a sense this is history. they want to put aside the fights of the moment. >> at least today. >> at least today and celebrate what this democracy is about and celebrate president obama. he certainly deserves that. >> he certainly does. kate, as we watch these crowds, these are the vips. member of the house, members of the senate, members of the cabinet, they will all be here. >> i'm not one to brag, but we don't have bad seats either. right behind us will be where barack obama will be standing at the podium. we're looking at pictures. you see the motorcade moving now. the president and first family in the beast. they'll be heading our direction shortly. the vips will be sitting here behind us, members of the house, members of the senate. the supreme court justices will be there as well as the obama

and biden families. what we're listening to now -- you can probably hear it over our mikes -- this is ps-22 from staten island, this choir who has become famous in their own right, wolf, even performing at the academy awards in 2011. the voices are absolutely beautiful. they're really getting everyone going here right now. >> because they're so young, they give the sense of hope and the future because you have these kids out here, it's just a really -- it's a wonderful affair. >> let's take a look. you see the presidential motorcade there. now they've left the church across the street from lafayette park over at the white house. they call it the beast because that's a highly fortified vehicle, that presidential limousine. the presidential limousine. you're looking at the presidential motorcade there, returning from the church. they'll be going back to the white house, and fairly soon they will once again get into the motorcade and make that drive down pennsylvania avenue over to the -- over to capitol hill, where they will be joining

all of us here. you see the motorcade going into the north side of the white house. that's the west wing to the right, the residence. that's where the motorcade is heading right there. they'll go inside, freshen up a little bit. i must say, kate, here we see some more pictures. everybody is going to focus in not so much on what the president or the vice president is wearing. they're going to focus in on what the first lady and indeed the second lady are wearing. >> that was one of the first e-mails that i saw pop into my inbox as we were watching. >> you see the vice president right there and dr. jill biden walking into the white house. >> absolutely. the first lady wearing thom browne. brianna was laying it out for us. also, interestingly enough, and you'll probably agree with me on this, david. malia and sasha wearing j. crew. sasha wearing kate spade. american designers. something that everyone around the country can relate to. >> that's right. there's an awful lot of americana here today. in many ways, the best of america. >> absolutely.

you see we're waiting here. this is the beast, and we'll see the first family emerging shortly. >> david used to work for four presidents in the white house. obviously, you see the daughters, and they look lovely, and the first lady, that new look. you've been pointing out she's got bangs. i don't know if we've mentioned that once or twice before. >> you definitely have, wolf. >> almost as much attention as your beard was, wolf. >> and that's mrs. robinson, the first lady's mom. she lives there with the family in the white house and plays a critical role as well. >> remember the robinson family bible was the bible that the president took the oath yesterday in the private ceremony at the white house. it's been in their family for many years, and it was a bible that was given to the first lady's mother as a mother's day gift so many years ago. and today uniquely the president will be being sworn in using two bibles. the bible used by martin luther king jr., his traveling bible, and secondly, the lincoln bible

that he also used during his first swearing in. so, again, that connection from past to present and the continuity of government that we see and the personal connection. you're going to see that throughout this inauguration ceremony, i believe. >> david, as you take a look at both ends of pennsylvania here on capitol hill, obviously, over at the white house, it is a magnificent -- i've lived here for many years, but it's a magnificent city. >> it is. i think this day is sort of washington at its best, don't you, wolf? there are a lot of days you come here, and people are fighting with each other, and there's strife, and it's stormy. >> that's what we talk about every other day of the year. >> exactly. this is very, very special. >> wolf, you've covered many of these ceremonies. unfortunately, i've not covered as many as you. do you ever get used to it? >> no. it's always exciting. it's beautiful. it's lovely. it's only just gipping. >> that's right. >> the crowds are growing and growing and growing. president obama and his family, as you saw there, now back

inside the white house. we're following his every step on this inauguration day. we'll be watching as they head to capitol hill. we'll also talk live to the former secretary of state, retired u.s. army general colin powell, about his very public concerns about the direction of the republican party and a whole lot more.

♪ ♪

♪ the lee university festival choir from cleveland, tennessee. they're performing right now at the u.s. capitol. about 200 students. they were chosen by senator lamar alexander to represent this part of tennessee, and they're doing a magnificent, beautiful, beautiful job. you saw the president. he left the church a little while ago. the first family, they are now inside the white house. but they'll be getting ready. this is videotape that we saw earlier when the motorcade arrived. the daughters, the first lady, and the president walking up the stairs, going inside. you know, there's a whole lot of stuff going on in this second term for the first family that our white house correspondent brianna keilar is learning about

during her husband's first term, brianna, america's first lady made america's children, their families, two of our most important priorities. now this self-proclaimed mom in chief faces a bigger challenge, raising teenagers at the white house, among other things. brianna, i know you've been doing some reporting on what we can expect over the next four years. >> reporter: that's right, wolf. mrs. obama, as we speak, is looking at her agenda for the second term, and she could be adding some causes. but i think today you really get a sense of just how exciting it can be to live in the white house. the truth is, though, it can actually be a very challenging place to raise kids, and that's why arguably one of mrs. obama's biggest accomplishments of the last four years has been trying to create a sense of normalcy for her family. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> good job, daddy. >> i did it. >> even if you're the president, your kid will always tell it like it is. this may be mrs. obama's biggest

accomplishment of the last four years. as she's championed causes like working with military families and fighting childhood obesity, she has created normalcy for her family and encouraged her daughters to be themselves. >> at the end of the day, most important title is still mom in chief. >> reporter: living in the most famous house in the world the obamas tried to stay grounded. >> i always tell my friends that i still recognize them. they haven't become some other crazy kids. >> reporter: they have some help from the first's mother who lives on the third floor of the white house and they keep a daily routine. mrs. obama is up early. sometimes 4:30 a.m., letting bo out and hitting the gym before her daughters wake up. the president starts working out before she wraps up. the girls head off to class at the sidwell friends private school. president walks to the oval office around 8:30. almost every night the family

gathers for dinner together at 6:30 p.m. >> they are not in the least bit interested in his day. they a they are interested in their day. that's a relief to have those quality moments. >> reporter: it is family day million the girls and mrs. obama go to bed around 9 k34r07b. the president, a might owl, stays up working and reading. taking bo outside one last time before he turns in. normally after mid might. >> as many of you know, my husband, your president, he is handsome. >> reporter: the first couple carves out time for each other. >> got to keep the romance live even in the white house. >> reporter: that means dates and dinners out with friends. they are notorious for being affectionate, puckering up for the jumbotron at a basketball game this summer. while mrs. obama mostly steers clear of policy debates, she was

a huge asset to the president on the campaign trail last year. from the stump to late-night television. >> let's go! get your shoes on! move it! move it! up! up! time go. you can do it! >> okay. okay. >> out the door! out the door! i need some carrots! >> reporter: as parents the obamas are very involved. in the obama white house there is structure and chores. sasha and malyeah are limited to two hours of the per week. no social media. >> i worry about-face book only because -- i know the folks at facebook that -- obviously they have revolutionized, you know, social networks but, you know, malia -- because she is well known -- you know, for -- i'm very keen on her protecting her privacy. >> reporter: malia also does her own laundry. >> i don't want her to be 15, 16, and be that kid that says i

have never done laundry before. i don't even want -- i would cringe if she became that kid. >> reporter: the obamas have relished sharing their adventure was their kids, traveling to france and russia where they toured the kremlin and ate dinner above red square. meeting world leaders as they did in brazil and south africa where they met nelson mandela. there are still big milestones aheadobamas as a family. soon there will be two teenagers in the white house, malia will soon be old enough to drive, apply to colleges. and, yes, date. >> excellent reporting. thanks very much. we are just getting word that the leadership of the congress, they are over at the white house having coffee with the president. the speaker, the majority leader, the senate majority leader. they all went over. that's mice gesture. >> started with a teat from eric cantor himself. i think we can read into it that's a better way to start a

second term than not have them over for coffee. >> i can't remember that ever happening, you know. often you have a change of parties so that a president of one party greets another from another party. inviting the leadership, i think symbolically is very important. it is a good sign. also signals what i think he is trying to say in the inaugural address. we will have to wait and see how it works out. >> i think it is a good idea as well. get readout of what happened inside. i'm sure it is a very, very nice gesture on the part of the first family. as we get closer to the oath and address, we get excerpts of the president's speech. we will share them with you. you will see the inaugural crowds the way the president will see them, from here on capitol hill. we will take you on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour first inaugural flash back. ♪

>> senator hatfield, mr. chief justice, mr. president. >> what was so impress bif reagra -- impressive about reagan's inaugural speech was the optimism it suggested after a period america was peeling we may have been in decline. >> let us begin an era of national renewal. let us renew our determination, our courage, and our strength. and let us renew our faith and our hope. >> in a certain sense the optimism of the speech was symbolized by his transferring the inaugural to the west front of the capitol which made a much grander spectacle and more people could watch it. it was a big occasion. >> the economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. ♪

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>> our challenges are great. our will is greater. >> there is nothing wrong with america that cannot be cured by what is right with america. >> the united states will not ignore your oppression or excuse your oppressors. >> all are equal. all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. ♪ some of the most powerful people in america are arriving on capitol hill right now to witness president obama's second inauguration. >> we are taking you into the crowd behind the scenes for this celebration of america. ♪ >> a new beginning for a president who broke barriers. >> my fellow citizens, i stand here today humble by the task before us a daylong celebration

on a holiday honoring a man that helped make barack obama's election and re-election possible. soon the president renews his oath before cheering crowds and his critics are fierce. his choices are tough. and america's future is in his hands. >> we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin, again, the work of remaking america. crowds are growing on the national mall. 44th president of the united states is about two hours away from taking the oath of office. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. vice president joe biden also will be sworn in on this stage in the shadow of the capitol. stand by for gloria borger's exclusive interview with the

vice president. she asks about the times he made the president angry. we will also talk to former secretary of state colin powell about his support for the president and his concerns about his own republican party. first, let's take you across the national mall to my colleague, anderson cooper. >> wolf, thanks very much. inaugurations are logistic nightmare, as you can imagine. all the crowd control and security to protect the people gathering out here on the mall. of course, the president and other high-level officials, vips arriving at the capitol building. chief political correspondent candy crowley is on the inaugural platform where the top officials will be sitting. >> reporter: just recently we are -- we are up here, by the way, all the talk about blue tickets and stuff. platinum tickets. that's what these are. platinum with a "p." stands for power. i have seen john mayer is here, cyndi laup. they just walked in. i have to tell you, largely behind me, these are friends and

families of power. a lot of house rule committee folks here. people who know house rules committee, staffers, who get these great tickets. of course, the folks that are a tier down from me don't need tickets. people like the supreme court members, the joint chiefs of staff, family members. bidens and obamas, et cetera. up here, has been a collection of -- really of people and some of them are newbies. not that they are power players. they are friends of power players. one of the men that i talked to here today is -- daughter who works on the rules committee and said this is my first time i have ever done anything like this. it is completely overwhelming and he said i don't care if you are a republican or democrat, this is like a real moment, an american moment, and looked up as -- i'm like -- right here by the capitol which is, what, half a football field away. the -- president may be 100, 200 feet 3shgs 00 feet from house

when he gets sworn in. different mood up here because of the -- kind of the closeness to all of this. i think it is awe-inspiring, overwhelming, as this man said. still lots of fun being had at moment as they await what will be a parade of -- the actual power players as they come in here. and -- begin to get ready for this swearing in. public swearing in, anderson. >> also perfect form answers by beyonce, kelly clarkson, james taylor. all perfect forming when the president gets sworn in as well as the vice president. anchors, core departments, are o -- correspondents, are out in the crowds. den lemon. christi paul. robin meade. how is the mood? >> reporter: cheery and chipper. you brought the warm -- warmth from the cayman islands. you said that this means --

president barack obama's presidency means a lot to people around the world. that's why you came here. >> absolutely. i don't know if americans who live at home realize the impact that this election and the previous one had on the rest of the world. people feel warmly towards americans in ways they haven't for many years because of some of the other things that happened before. but president obama has just made us feel proud and it is just a great honor to be here today. >> reporter: yeah. you said you missed the first one. >> i did. >> reporter: there was no way you were going to miss this one. >> i watched every minute of it on television. but i was -- another opportunity, i will be there. yeah. absolutely. >> reporter: thank you. we appreciate the warm weather. where is pat? where are you? pat, you -- how long did you ride on the bus here? >> 12 1/2 hours. >> reporter: from obama? from alabama. >> i love it. this is an opportunity that we never, ever really dreamed of. a dream come true. >> thank you, guys?

>> especially online with martin luther king's birthday today. we are living the dream. >> reporter: thank you, everybody, we appreciate it. it is a pretty good mood out here. you can see people are very happy to be here. they are very happy the weather is a lot warmer than forecasted. >> let's hope it gets a little bit warmer. that would be good. i know for you, for me and a lot of people who have gathered here in washington, d.c. let's bring in our chief white house correspondent jessica yellin. you have been doing some good reporting for us, jessica. what else are you learning about the president when he is planning -- what he is planning on doing? >> hi, wolf. the president finalized his inaugural address over the weekend. he made some tweak this morning but practiced in the. room over the weekend. that's on the first floor of the residence. it is where he does all of his speech preps. hay wrote it with his chief speechwriter and circulated the speech among a small group of advisers who read all of his important addresses. after the majority of the speech was finalized, he did continue

to rework mostly for -- phrases and the pacing and timing of this speech. this is something he often does, i'm told, by his top advisers that he -- hears rhythms and phrases in his head almost like a musician. he will continue to move a speech around just so he understands that pacing. another adviser told me that they were just talking to him about how this event will be different from four years ago because in 2009, he felt the weight especially of the economic crisis and he realized after the inauguration, he would have to go straight to the oval office and deal with the crisis that they were grappling with. he didn't have much time to reflect on and savor this moment. the president said that he's looking forward to today and to the fact that he will really have a chance to take in his experience. >> jessica, thanks very much. we will be checking back with you as well. dana bash is over in the rotunda

inside the capitol. getting some good access to pokes who were arriving, including the spot, where the president will be making his big entrance about an hour or owe from now. dana, what are you seeing? what are you hearing? >> that's right. >> this really is a great location because in the capitol rotunda we will see the president minutes after the swearing in ceremony happens. he will come lou here and walk over towards the senate side of the capitol for a signing ceremony. what that effectively does put himself and cabinet on the payroll but it really is an indication about how every single minute of this ceremony is choreographed for today's imagery and tomorrow's history. this is where the president will start his walk towards history. steps few take once, even fewer, twice. now we are in the crypt of the capitol. >> the president will come down these stairs. >> reporter: senator chuck schumer chair it is inaugural committee and will personally escort the president down these

stairs to take the oath. hay took us fir-- he took us fi. i want to show the viewers what the president will see. we are walk. >> right. >> reporter: mark, if you can turn around, this is what he is going to agree exactly. >> reporter: right out these doors. >> he will go out the doors and there will be huge cheers and there will be people as far as the eye can see. ♪ >> reporter: inauguration prep began more than a year ago. construction of the platform took 3 1/2 months to build and more than 10,000 square feet in size and using 22,000 sheets of plywood. lit hold some 1600 people in stadium-style seating so everyone here from lawmakers to cabinet members to supreme court justices have a view of the swearing in. >> these are among the most coveted seats in america. >> reporter: tomorrow thing more exclusive -- the post-inaugural lunch inside the capitol's

statuary hall. this is where the lunch will be? >> yes, it is. tickets for this are off the charts. have you senators calling and saying i want to go. >> reporter: not every senator gets -- >> only 220 seats. >> reporter: the president and vice president themselves only get to invited about 40 people. the other guests are leaders and select members of congress and supreme court justices and their spouses and some members of the military and diplomatic corps. month detail is too small and especially the menu. by tradition the senator schumer's position chooses it so it is new york centric. wine, cheese, honey, apples for pie, all from new york. >> that's great. here we are. look, everybody. have a taste. >> there's your fork. >> reporter: he even did a moat owe-op for his food. the entree is bison from south dakota. >> we don't want sacrificed quality. waned long island duck important the main course but it didn't come out too good. >> reporter: he has attended

seven inaugural lunches, presidents reagan, bush xli, clinton and bush xliii all sat and ate their meal. >> he actually walked around and visited every single person who was in that room. i guess that was just his way of thanking them. of course, he was so excited being president. >> i barack hussein obama do solemnly swear -- >> reporter: iconic image of becoming president is taking the oath. this year, lincoln's bible, which obama used four years ago, and martin luther king jr.'s, since it is also the holiday honoring him. the lincoln bible is borrowed from where it is housed at the library of congress. the mlk bible couriered from

atlanta. >> we will take possession of it. we will keep it in our vault, in our museum room here at the capitol. we will bring it out. we will handle it with gloves. >> reporter: that's a lot of pressure. >> yes. it is very exciting. >> reporter: as far as those bibles go, the lincoln bible is, of course the same one the president used the last time round. it was the same bible president lincoln used in 1861 for his first inauguration. it got here from the library of congress on friday. the mlk bible is new. he has never done that before. he is doing it because -- for lots of reasons but there is a special reason. today is martin luther king holiday. that was actually actually coure and is in a special vault on the fourth floor. they will be brought down to the first lady who will be in the hold in the senate dining room with the president and will bring them out for the swearing-in ceremony. >> thanks very much.

the president that has been criticized for his relation was capitol hill and how he deals with members of the congress. in this next term, do you see that changing? do you see strategy towards congress changing? >> yes. i think he will be more combative. i think that he has learned that he can't get as much done as he thought he could the first time. and he will be more political in his approach. in other words, these are my bright lines and you guys come to me more. >> david, "washington post," what do you make of the criticism of this president by some on capitol hill he's not a back slapper? not a socializer. we saw him walking around the tables four years ago. there has been criticism he has not reached out enough. >> well, he's -- you know, compare him to bill clinton or lyndon johnson. that's true. >> anybody compared to bill clinton and lyndon johnson -- not going to change really in that sense. he is who he is. he doesn't want to appear to be inauthentic about it.

one of the things about bill clinton was he was what i call an authentic phony. everybody believed what he was saying at the moment. barack obama always had more difficult time trying to act that up. but as he said the other day, you know, he is a nice enough guy. echoed what he said about hillary. nice enough, too. >> that line didn't go over so well the first time. >> he was talking about himself a little easier maybe. >> maybe. but do -- does he enjoy politics? >> yes. well, he enjoys politics but enjoys other things as well. you know, i -- i think that he -- he's learning how to really sort of merge that with the other aspects of what he enjoys which is policy and rest of life. >> can i say two words? joe biden. that's what joe biden is for. he does the things the president really dislikes doing. i mean, it is -- if the president doesn't like to glad hand and hang out with members

of congress, that's a little piece of heaven for joe biden. he -- loves that. so i think what they established is a relationship which is okay, i know we have to do this, says the president. joe, go to capitol hill and you are the guy -- >> president obama has said that -- you know, he wants to be having dinner with his family every night. is that the reason? >> it is one of the reasons. look, he -- he is a father of two young girls in the white house. they moved from chicago, especially the first term. gape up their friends and routine. god bless him for that. the other place, who he is. he likes other things. he likes to sit down and watch "sportscenter" after the family goes to bed. he likes to golf. he took the speaker golfing once. maybe we will see more of that in the second term. republicans complain about this. this is a bipartisan complaint. it is the -- president not just stiffing the republicans. democrats complain not only does he not spend a lot of time with them in those kind of settings but when they call the white house saying can i send him a special group of my constituents, the white house

says no, we don't want special favors. >> i was interested reading in "the new york times" that he hasn't even had hillary clinton and bill clinton for dinner. >> i want to push -- it is not like if he were hanging out with those guys all the time. tea party would fall in love with him and start moving his legislature through. it is not that at all. i think we put too much on the ideal of a personal relationship. look, he puts forward -- there is -- they are not going love him. >> there's a lot of that -- lot of them who don't want to be seen hanging out with him. >> at all. the former governor of florida gave the president a hug and got -- >> don't you think it is part of his job? i actually think that it is his job to -- to deal with people on both sides of the aisle. even ones he doesn't like. now, every president has a different way of dealing with people but to have members of your own party suggest to you, as i was told by a senior senator, you need to have some people over so we can talk about

this issue informally and the president said no, no, i'm not going to do that. i would argue that's his job. >> gloria speaking to is building trust with congress. sausage make sing ugly. joe biden did a great job of it. let's remember, the first term, you think about how you are going to get re-elected. second term what is your legacy piece going to be? he will not have his legacy support and here he comes. >> craig robertson, michelle obama's brother, arriving at the capitol. let's go back to wolf. >> we are joined by reverend jesse jackson. dr. martin luther king jr., remembering him. you were with him. you remember his i have a dream speech, reverend jackson. if he were here today what would he say that an african-american president is now being sworn in, not the first time, but the second time? >> he would be championing him.

remember, dr. king was bloodyed and stabbed and killed to make -- his sacrifice, tore down the walls. the brick prosecutors that wall lay the bricks the president walks across. dr. king was a vilified man. barack is a celebrated man. dr. king and president barack obama's interesting convergence much history today. would celebrate his victory today but keep raising issues like too many poor people, too much violence. and too much racial disparity. >> that's what i was going to ask you about. do you think you would probably say that dr. king's dream is -- not yet fully accomplished is not yet fully -- been relevantized? what would you challenge president obama to do in his second term? >> the dream speech was the climax. 100 years later, you promised equal opportunity. you promised equal protection. the day he spoke -- i came here to hear the speech.

i just left jail. couldn't use a public library. couldn't use a public restaurant. blacks sat behind. against the backdrop, he spoke and challenged the culture. saying now we must focus on the growing common. the victim in poverty p. food stamps, the unemployed. then the combination of drugs and guns and jobs, talking about urban policy, policy for poor people and ending racial disparity. he would be supportive and chl eveninging. >> what's happening in chicago right now? last year 516 people were killed by guns in chicago, your city. >> you can't separate guns from drugs from race from poverty. 45% unemployment. that's way beyond the 7.8 we talked about.

wi guns and manufacturers in the suburbs. guns and from mexico drug cartels and guns and drugs. plants closed. jobs leaving. that's a very, very toxic combination. >> do you want to see president obama take more of a -- of a central role come to chicago? you have been talking about the xrim and drug problem in chicago for a very long time. >> i'm glad that he used occasion of the sandy hook crisis to deal with the gun issues. that's -- that killing and -- sandy hook was -- these 20 babies who never had a chance to open their christmas presents, never could see -- something about that that -- a tipping point. yet, illuminates chicago. 32,000 killed nationally. the killing epidemic is huge. i wish it would come to chicago because -- antiseptic new --

the -- >> reverend jackson, we see the chief justice of the united states, john roberts, arriving on capitol hill behind us right now. he will be administering the oath of office to the president for a fourth time. yesterday was the third. twice four years ago. fourth and last time, we should point out. this will be a significant historic moment. >> we are 160 miles from jamestown, virginia, where the slave ship landed. he looks over where lincoln is immortalized and dr. king statue. >> look at that. sonia sotomayor, justice, arriving as well. she will be administering the oath of office. the vice president -- >> since '63 to today, many way

it is whole world has change. >> have come a long way. we still have a ways to go, as you will be the first to acknowledge. reverend jackson, thanks very much for coming up here and spending a few moments with us. >> thank you. >> former president george w. bush and his father, former president george h.w. bush, aren't attending this inaugural. president -- former president bill clinton and jimmy carter are. we are waiting to see president clinton. stand by for that. also taking a closer look at the downside of winning another four years of the white house. it doesn't always go so well. the second-term curse, as some call it. that's coming up as well. first, though, inaugural flashback. >> let me assert my firm belief

that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. >> we all remember the phrase the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. but even more important than the phrase was the whole attitude that fdr had. he projected optimism and projected forward movement. people felt that's the mystery of leadership, that somehow the depression they were suffering, they weren't going to be alone anymore. they had a leader who was going to take care of it. when you have diabetes... your doctor will say get smart about your weight. that's why there's glucerna hunger smart shakes. they have carb steady, with carbs that digest slowly to help minimize blood sugar spikes. [ male announcer ] glucerna hunger smart. a smart way to help manage hunger and diabetes.

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>> sharing a challenge as the sun comes up. only then realizing you forgot to pack your toothbrush.

hundreds of thousands of people are now gathered here on the national mall getting ready for the inauguration of the president of the united states.

the public swearing-in ceremony will be taking place very, very soon. and the excitement is building. only moments ago the former president, bill clinton, he arrived here up on capitol hill. there you see the video of the former president. he is walking in among the so many vips who have come to celebrate this moment in american history. democrats, republicans, people from all over the country, they are now here. taken months to build a special platform where the president, his family, who's who of vips will stand and sit for the inauguration. john berman has a closer look on who gets to be on the presidential podium. give us the answers, john. >> the joint chief of staff, they just took their seats and were just minutes away from more big names coming in. when they get to their chairs, what they will find, blanket waiting for them and also a name card. name cards here a collection of the biggest names in washington.

we took a picture to show you how the whole thing is laid you on. take a look at this. nothing gets you closer than genetics. front and center, family. michelle and daughters. the biden family. other folks in the front row, members of the supreme court. including the president's own nominees. sonia sotomayor. over here the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies. elite group chaired by senator chuck schumer. other choice seats behind the obamas, presidential guests. friends and family, also some big donors and romney emanuel walk in now. one person not going to be here, the designated survivor. this is the member of the cabinet who does not show up just in case the unimaginable happens. we do not know who that is at this point. behind the bidens, this will be the former players. past presidents. rich tradition in our country. bill and hillary clinton will

sit there. jimmy carter. but no bushes this time around. george h.w. bush staying behind in texas, of course, trying to recover from that ill must that he has been suffering. george w. bush and laura sent their regrets and said their thoughts are with the obamas. surrounded by military power. joint chiefs. they took their seat. behind the court you have house leadership, other house members, and over here, senate leadership and the full senate, members of congress, they are all miles today. battles ahead, those smiles could be changing soon. most blood seats. they go to the governors' way. diplomatic four. power bleachers. on a day like today, there are no bad seats. short while ago we shot john brennan, nominee with the cia chief. saw him walking in and take his seat. the funny thing is, after he sat down he took out his camera, walked to the edge of the balcony and snapped a photo. one person here was joking,

saying, maybe the new cia chief is spying. >> we see more vips arriving right now. bob mueller, fbi director, at the bottom of the screen with his wife. long-serving fbi director. we saw the acting cia director, michael morrell walking in. incoming, assuming, he is confirmed cia director, john brennan, coming in. watching what's going on. this year, you can also be part of cmn's coverage of this president a coverage of the inauguration. explain away. >> reporter: everybody here hold up your phones. this crowd has phones. this is the first time we have had a presidential inauguration with instagram. the most socially connected political event ever because of these. so we here at cnn are asking you

because this is about you. this is about the community. we want to you take a picture of yourself watching inauguration, watching the swearing-in, on capitol hill, today. we want you to upload it to instagram. this is about you sharing your view of history with us. include a caption. why is this for for you to be watching this historic occasion here on this monday in washington. we have already gotten a couple of photos that we shared a few with you. you might recognize this first guy. country music legend willie nelson actually watching our coverage last night honoring our nation's men and women in uniform. one more very early this morning. we have a beautiful, beautiful sunrise picture from a college student from kentucky. drove all the way in. bright and early at 4:00 this morning. we asked him why he wanted to be here this early. he said he wanted to document history. one more photo. i don't know if you recognize

it. who is this? beyonce. beyonce is singing the national anthem. this is her practicing early this morning. aga i have to share my favorite with you. 5 1/2-year-old little boy from phoenix, arizona, his mother snapped a photo. holding up his right hand. he was watching the president yesterday on cnn during the private ceremony, swearing in, and apparently his mom said -- honey why are you holding up your right hand? he said, mom, because the president looks like me. thanks to all of you sending in pictures. we want so many more. this a s a huge historic moment in washington today. go to instagram. #cnn. we want your view of history shared with us and all around the world. anderson, are you instagraming? >> i am. we will be doing that throughout the day. around a million people may be here for today's inauguration. the weather is cold but it is very sunny and beautiful day. we are going to be able to show

what you it looks like actually from space, weather permitting. how are we going to do that, john? >> we watched this. the crowd is filling in. perhaps not as big last time. 1.8 million people. the crowd is filling in. getting an impressive crowd. we label to tell by the end of the day thanks to technology up there. not instagram but satellite images. let's take a look at 2009. if you look at the picture here, let's start here. here is the united states capitol. it flows out. watch me come along the mall. we are right about here. this is where our booth is here. washington monument. see the world war ii memorial and lincoln memorial. 2009, i'm going to stretch this out. you see the capitol there. those are people filling in the seats there. these are people in 2009 as the crowd went in. you see it is a massive crowd. here is the washington monument, see the people all around. here is another way to look at it. bring it over this way. let me shrink it down and come in here for me here. bring it in here. here's 2009. i'm going to pop up the capitol just to show you. on a normal day, this is an image from 2011.

satellite flying overhead. that's what the capitol grounds would look like. you don't see any people. we will look at this. this is the inaugural from 2009. this we expect to look about the same. when we get satellite images today. vips, people in the front section. the big question then is what happens out here in the rest. you come down here. as far as the washington monument, right here, again, look at these crowds. this is 2009. obama first inaugural. here is a normal day in 2011. you see the big difference right here. former house speaker newt gingrich is arriving at the capitol as we continue to go through this. you see this. one more thing i want to show you as you come back in here, we can also look later at the white house where the president lives, of course. what's the difference. here is the president's reviewing stand. you see this white structure here. vip reviewing stand. media reviewing over here across from the white house. that's not there on a normal day when you look at the white house. we will be able to take a look later today. compare it to 2009 photos. compare it to a normal day.

then you can use gridding technology to try to get a sense of how many people -- 1.8 million people in 2009. we expect about half of that today. it is getting impressive as we can see here. we have a feisty group. we will see. by the end of the night, should have a better number. >> it is. pouring in by the thousands every few minutes. paul ryan just arrived. also at the capitol. we are anticipating the first family arriving soon. as well. there you see paul ryan among the dignitaries to arrive. we are going to be -- events will start to occur very quickly from here on in as we get to see more and more of the power pliers in washington arriving. we are standing by for the presidential arrival at the capitol on this historic day. a whole lot more. former secretary of state powell. he is a republican. a obama supporter and very candid about his concerns for his party's future. we will talk to him. that and more after a final commercial break. final commercial break.

the president is coming out of the white house. actually before we go to commercial break, let's take a look. there you see the -- the president's mother-in-law. gloria, they will be making their way here to -- to the capitol. as the -- president's aides get ready to get in the various cars. what part of the white house is this? >> i think we are looking right now at the north door. the president has been attending a coffee with congressional leaders, with senate leader mitch mcconnell. speaker boehner and congressman eric cantor. i confirmed that. with each of their offices. a nice bipartisan tradition and good way to kick off a new term. those of you discussing he does not do enough socializing with leaders, here he is doing just that. he's been with -- the wives, vice president biden and his

wife has been there as has the first lady. they will then head in the motorcade and make their way up here to the capitol where they will go into a hold for about an hour before the president speaks. >> senator john kerry arriving at the capitol. there's senator kerry. >> confirmation hearings. secretary of state. >> this is the entrance you see usually in the wide shots of the white house. not the back side with the rounded edge. but a flat-wide front of the white house. >> there you see senator kerry on the right. >> one of the big differences when you have a change of power, you know, current president greets the new president and one of the traditions is he leaves a note. that doesn't happen this time. president obama doesn't need to leave himself a note about the second term. outgoing vice president, great old desk. vice president's ceremonial office, old executive office building, where they sign their names. some traditions have you the

transfer of power on a day like this where it is continuity, as jessica says, the president -- generous stroke to try to start, try to start with a reset saying maybe we can start and get along just a little better. >> it is interesting that mitch mcconnell was there who famously made the statement. >> senator john mccain there. senator feinstein behind him. >> mitch mcconnell was the one that famously said we immediate to make this a one-term president. there he is there at coffee this morning. >> he has since said that was a political effort and once that didn't come to pass he's completely reconciled to the fact he has to work with him and get business done. i could add, anderson, the president said because he's now re-elected he has been telling his aides that this is an opportunity almost to experience his inauguration important the first time. >> al franken on the right. >> because at first -- in the original inauguration, he was so

focused on the financial crisis, economic crisis, there was a national security threat on the day of the inauguration, and -- they were consumed by the crises at the moment. they almost couldn't concentrate on what was happening that day. >> 20 years ago, bill clinton was leaving right at this moment, his speech writers were still with him. taylor got in the limousine and writing the speech over to the white house. >> wow. >> didn't even have a place to sit and had to kneel in the back behind the president. >> there is elizabeth warren. >> how many of these senators as they walk out are taking a look at that podium and saying -- >> the vice president. dr. jill biden. >> president is looking at it -- the vice president is probably looking at the podium ask going -- >> last time president clinton and mrs. clinton --

>> our only black senator. >> tim scott. republican senator. >> former president bush and laura bush will not be here today. nor is bush xli, of course. >> just to follow up up what jessica was say being the president asking of the white house staff saying enjoy this. of course, second terms are always full of unintended things that occur just the way first terms were. so -- they all understand that. one white house aide was quote medical the new york times the other day as calling them locusts. these things that tend to descend on the white house and you don't anticipate it. of course, now, he doesn't have the economic crisis that he had. >> we have seen that with just about every president who gets a second term. something unexpected. reagan was iran-contra.

the first lady, michelle obama. is she wearing the same coat as before? >> looks to me like she has change. >> yeah. looks like she has changed. previously wearing a tom brown coat and tom brown dress. i will try to find out as you watch the procession, we are watching, obviously the principals here. one of the huge challenges in the second term is trying to avoid burnout. senior staff that does say is exhausted. you also have a lot of turnover. you see the president. the trademark whether it is chuck hagel, somebody he likes, controversial to some. new chief of staff, dennis mcdonough. comfort zone. when you bring in a new team, the question is, is it an a-team? if form is it an a-team peshsly you are trying to get things done early on? is there a burnout? it is a huge challenge for any second-term president to make sure that dashes especially --

ones that decided to stay, are you sure you have the energy? >> a lot of musical chairs. it is not all new. it is -- a lot of the same team, just in new jobs. if there is burnout, they would be feeling it. the vice president. you were mentioning the first lady. we talked about what she's wearing. one thing i would add is that we are reporting that she will take on some new role in the next term and that is a little bit more of a political role that she will be promote something of the president's political agenda a bit more than we saw in the first term. >> that's interest. >> that she -- and i would be interested to see how she will do it. i would imagine it would be very delicate, just a bit of a nod in that direction. but -- through this political arm the ofa organization, she will be promoting some of his initiatives in the grassroots movement. >> tom -- there coming in. >> lot more popular in certain

parts of the country. in polling, always amazed how she would run a, nine points more popular than the president where he wasn't so popular. >> what a critical role she played during the convention. giving a speech that really roused the entire audience. the president, of course. senator charles schumer. >> i can tell you, this is -- no surprise but the speech is done, locked and loaded. no more change. >> unlike bill clinton. >> until it is not. >> right. >> the thing about the first lady is that once she gets more involved in the political agenda, she will probably have to sacrifice a little bit of her popularity here. >> that's true. >> and -- i think that's one reason she didn't do that this time around. she was so important to him in the re-election. >> from the image standpoint one of the things we pick up on the focus groups, image of the two of them together, women voters

ate that up. this is a guy that's truly in love with his wife and his wife is a partner. >> is that why he kissed her at that basketball game? i'm sure. >> that was poll tested and focus group approved. >> in 2008 she was a little bit controversial during the campaign. that's why she receded a little bit. >> second term where it is safer important her to step up. laura bush took stand about democracy in burma. >> we watch the vice president come out we didn't mention who was with him. i wonder if we get to mention him, senator alexander of tennessee. former governor, republican. ran important president himself once. one of the members of the senate incredibly frustrate bid the inaction and inability to get things done. mark warner, democrat, former governor. a number of senators in both parties especially the former governors who were chief executives who liked to get things done and who have been talking privately among themselves how can we get more things done? how can we find consensus and

drop the word comprehensive and make incremental progress on things. if that to me is a as if mating. joe biden is a big part of the conversations to see if they can find -- i don't know whether you can call i had the mittle or center but just some functional group that trusts each other and can find ways to get things done. >> notice the taxation without representation. license plate. >> yes. big deal. we have no representation. >> there is nothing quite like watching this motorcade, though, as it passes you by. in -- all those on the stand. it is an awesome sight. just the -- number of vehicles, the size of the vehicle they call the beast there. carrying the vice president and another one carrying the president. >> those are heavy machines. heavily fortified. they are going to go very slowly today. when we see them, if necessary, secret service training headquarters, watched them do the emergency training drills with these things and that's a treat. >> there are people lining up.

parade route trying to get a good spot as they have been all morning long. here on the national mall, it is getting very, very crowded indeed. more and more people arriving. people realizing the president, vice president, are on their way here. and certainly the excitement is building as we approach the hour. the hour in which the -- oath of office will be taken. let's bring in wolf blitzer who is over closer to the capitol. wolf? >> this is sort of the reverse, anderson, of the parade. that will be going from capitol hill over towards the north lawn of the white house. and then -- this presidential motorcade carrying the president, the first lady, vice president, second lady, and chuck shumer is the chairman of the inaugural committee. they are coming in the opposite direction of what will be taking place after the luncheon here, after the swearing-in ceremony on capitol hill. it is minice to see live pictur coming in from the motorcade as it heads towards pennsylvania avenue and makes the turn up that -- pennsylvania avenue

towards capitol hill. it is really a short drive. not driving too quickly. kate bolduan is here. all of us have made this drive. the folks -- folks will be watching along the sides but will be gathering to watch a little bit later. david, as you watch this, what's going on, what goes through your ritu that we -- every four years, we go lou this and has a pageantry about it. and people, again, come here, republicans and democrats, and sell briggs of democracy. it is one of the -- i think it is a grand part of our american heritage that we have been able to see. realize that people used to take carriages up and down this same path. and now we have these cars. and -- here on the -- what's interesting watching out here, all of the senators. mostly out there with cameras taking pictures. >> that's what i said. rare moment of bipartisanship when the number of three

republican in the house was teaching the number two democrat in the house, steny hoyer, how to use his iphone to take a picture of the whole crowd. >> h.w. brand is joining us as well. give us historic perspective now as we see eva longoria walking into the capitol. >> it is a big day. the president has been re-elected. that puts him in a very small minority president. only 17 presidents that won a second term. he has -- faces real challenges, of course. and he's had to deal with problems in the first term and made progress on those. and he certainly is going to say something about the progress that has been achieved so far. since he has been re-elected he's able to take a longer view of politics than he has until now. he will be looking for the line that will make it into the history books 30 years from now. we will cover this. hear what he has to say and it will be reported tomorrow. then people will forget the words the day after tomorrow. he will get back to business. maybe the lines, maybe the words from the inaugural address

today, will be recorded in the history books, 20, 30 years from now. second inaugural addresses are pretty hard. >> the tradition of driving in this motorcade from the white house up to capitol hill, it is a long tradition. but before there were cars there were horses. what was the -- give us historic perspective on what we are seeing right now, professor? >> one of the key aspects of this now motorcade was done on foot on horseback and carriage. it is that it reminds us that this critical moment for democracy, when we inaugurate a president, the two branches of congress, two hands of pennsylvania avenue, really do have to come together. tomorrow they might split apart but for today, we celebrate the fact that democracy works. we hold elections and we install our leade erers peace. >> i the fact that the president invited -- members of the cabinet. we can see arriving now as well.

you saw susan rice, u.s. ambassador, to the united nations. there is leon panetta, defense secretary, walking in right now. so -- i -- i -- there's -- more members of the cabinet coming in. this is the motorcade that is carrying the president, first lady, vice president, and second lady, and others up pennsylvania avenue towards the capitol. h.w. brand is the presidential historian, the author, who is helping us better appreciate the enormity of this historical moment that we are watching. they are getting closer and closer. that's quit a long motorcade. they got. i guess the republican and democratic leadership is in that motorcade as well. how significant is it that -- and -- there you see janet nap tan oh secretary of homeland security walking in with other members of the cabinet -- how significant is it the president invited the congressional leadership for coffee after coming back from church before heading up to capitol hill?

>> it seems a clear indication he realizes if anything is going to be done in the second term, it will have to be done on a bipartisan basis. presidents in their inaugural addresses always speak in bipartisan fashion. thomas jefferson famously said we are all republicans. we are all featherless. presidents in their inaugural addresses almost always repeat that and we can count on president obama saying something like that today. the real question for us is that whether the actions poll through tomorrow. >> outgoing treasury secretary, timothy geithner, walking in. we saw ken salazar, secretary of interi interior. we are watching all the -- i'm curious, all members of the cabinet, congressional leadership, house leadership, the president, vice president, they are all there. but there will be one designated member of the cabinet who won't be here, god forbid if there were a horrendous situation. >> i think we just saw craig robinson walking in as well. first lady's brother, as we were

just watching this happening before us. >> we don't know who that person is yet but we will know. >> i'm sorry. >> we will know. like the joint sessions of congress, as you well know. one person has to stay back. which is important for sense of continuity of government. continuity of control. again, these rituals have such a rich tradition and go back so many, you know, inauguration after inauguration and i do think that it gives americans a sense of continuity in our national life. >> as we look ahead to the president's speech, as we watch it, his motorcade, making its way towards the capitol, i was looking back. i saw george washington's second inaugural speech was all of some 140 words. almost like the equivalent of a tweet in terms of inaugural speeches. how do you think -- in terms of length, i believe jessica yellin said earlier, shorter may be better but it is the contents of what he says. if there is a memorable line that goes down in history. >> second inaugural addresses

have not been well remembered. but the general here they shorter is better. lincoln, most famous inaugural address second inaugural, 700 words plus. that's. >> it everybody is talking about that because of the film "lincoln." the president keeps talk how when he saw that film it reallies are mated with him as the current president of the united states. >> other folks we have seen streaming in, rahm emanuel, former chief of staff, to president obama. mayor of chicago. i think we were just seeing kelly clarkson coming in. she will be the -- she will be performing soon. as well as james taylor who -- wolf, we had the chance to speak to at the democratic convention. he was there performing. longtime supporter of the president. even went to perfect form answer. beyonce walked in. you saw that shot right there

and crowd really went wild when they saw it as well. >> beyonce will sing the national anthem. >> with her husband jay-z. quite a couple to be at the inauguration today. >> jimmy carter, former president of the united states. bill clinton will be there. obviously the secretary of state, outgoing secretary of state, hillary clinton. jimmy carter attending as well. >> not often have we said beyonce and jay-z and then carters in the same sentence. this definitely shows the range we are seeing at this anything ration. >> carters would like that. >> hold on. jim acosta is joining us. tell our viewers where you are. >> reporter: we are at the east front of the cap tomorrow. the president's limo has turned in to the carriage side. it is sort of difficult to figure this out because, as you might imagine the president's motorcade has a mum of limb zeens and number of armored vehicles around it. so -- part of that for security

reasons, of course. we were told by our senate producer ted barrett earlier this morning, the vice president is being accompanied by lamar alexand alexander, republican senator from tennessee. chuck schumer is with the president. they will be heading in shortly. just a few moments. called the carriage house entrance, of course, because actual horse and carriages used to come through the entrance. >> the chief justice of the united states, john roberts, was just introduced. he is there. the first lady of the united states. she has just arrived as well. she's now inside the capitol. dana bash, yeah, you are inside the capitol. where's the first lady walking in right now? >> well, where she supposed to go, i can see where she is going. ironically the holding area, staging area, is in the senate dining room. that's the place that's exclusive just important senators. they can invite guests and have the honor of being in there a few times. here's where she and the president are going to wait and, in fact, i'm guessing right about now they are going up to

the fourth floor of the building, of the capitol, into a special vault where the bibles she will be responsible for taking out to hold for her husband and put his hand on it and take the oath. probably be making their way down to her right now. >> the vice president is walking in now with senator lamar alexander, one of the co-chairs of the inaugural committee. vice president is there. he's obviously a happy guy. smiling proudly coming into the u.s. capitol. and we will be seeing more of these vips coming in as well. sorry i interrupted you but the president -- we can see the president getting out of the limousine as well. he will be walking in and there will be a lot of eitement as he walks in. no doubt about that. when he comes in, goes into a little holding area is that right? >> that's right. the hold is the senate dining room. then what they are going to do is go down the -- the walk is going to be on the first floor of the capitol through what's known as the crypt, down really

a long flight of stairs, out to the west front and everybody will see that -- coming out for ceremony to begin. every -- you see the president. he is coming in. what jim was talking about, carriage entrance of the capitol. that is the entrance that is probably most used to get into the senate side. he's greeting members of the leadership will. >> president kissing nancy pelosi, the minority leader of the house of representatives. he is accompanied by chuck schumer, the chair of this inaugural committee. they are coming in. harry reid, john boehner, all of the leaders. take a look at the flags being waved on the national mall in front of the u.s. capitol. i'm looking out at this picture. it is a huge, huge crowd. anderson cooper on is on the other side. not far away from the washington monument. from your vantage point what does it look like?

>> it is an amaze sight here, wolf. you can see flags as far as the eye can see. former president clinton. hillary clinton. haven't seen much of her since she got out of the hospital. nice to see that she's here today with the former president. they make their way towards the podium where they will sit behind president obama and vice president biden as they are sworn in. we are going hear them announce when they walk in. >> like a school teacher.

♪ ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, the 39th president of the united states, jimmy carter and mrs. rosalynn carter. >> president carter and rosalynn carter stepping down. taking their seats. followed by all the former presidents who will be here. >> john king, something special about this. just the tradition of it all. it is all something done every four years. it is something which has been done throughout our history. >> and hopefully americans watching around the country can take a moment to take a sxwreth

celebrate the country. celebrate their democracy and let me be the corny idealistic american for a minute. there are people watching around the world as well. and every four years we do this. sometimes a different party takes over power. in this case you have a president winning a second term. our second african-american president, re-election was in some way a validation for him and repudiation of the critics that say he only won the first time because george w. bush and republicans were so unpopular. lot of people around the world that don't get this. if their governments are letting them see this, whether they live in iran or china, or live anywhere else in the world, this is something to be proud of. something we take for granted. >> you know, we are so cynical about american politics. but -- you have to lose a lot of that cynicism today when you sit here and watch hundreds of thousands of people out on the mall celebrating democracy.

♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, the 42nd president of the united states. william jefferson clinton and secretary of state hillary rodham clinton. >> hello. hey. how are you? hi. mace to see you. how are you?

>> good seeing you. >> you have written a lot about president clinton. >> he lives for this. he would like to live for it another four years from now. i'm sure. you know, it is interesting. his second inaugural, 1996, barack obama was just starting his political career.

that was the year he was elected to the senate. now he is enjoying barack obama's second term and had this sort of needy relationship this year which served them both very well. >> what is their real relationship like? does it surprise you that they haven't been invited over for dinner? >> no, it doesn't because he hasn't invited that many people over for dinner. bill clinton and barack obama do not necessarily have to get along personally but got along professionally very well this year. it is based on how they need each other and what the circumstances are. politically, i would call, pragmatic liberals. they are not that far apart in politics. politics does strange things to people in terms of what their political needs are at that moment. there have been times they have been very far apart. when clinton's staff in particular has been very rough on obama. there are times when obama didn't want to be around clinton. this last year, it meshed

perfectly. they needed each other and helped each other. >> one would argue that the democratic convention, bill clinton made the case for barack obama better than barack obama did. >> they say in a way the president could never have made for himself. they argue only clinton could say that about -- >> lot easier when you are an ex-president. >> you say it so beautifully, david, when you talk about the difference in the political behavior of bill clinton and president obama. that clinton is a transactional politician in the way obama could never be. >> that's what he does. >> that's his life. that's what he enjoys. the question is looking at his wife, she's different. i think he enjoys it more than my other human being in the history of the world. >> yes. >> also have hearings coming up hillary clinton will be testifying important. >> she has prepared for that and

will hold her own there. it is not an ideal way for her to end her tenure. she had this globetrotting history making record there as this, you know, secretary of state who did, you know, this public diplomacy in a way month one else had. then she wraps it up on this odd note getting sick and then having to appear before congress before the very end. sort of an unfortunate way important her to wrap it up and yet i think the grand scale she will be remembered important what she did in the years before this. >> treated pretty well. don't forget she was very popular in the senate. including among the republicans. >> respected. >> she's known for doing her homework. hillary clinton, when she was in the senate, first lady, was known as somebody who studied for the part. >> joe biden carrying the bible down the stairs.

bible the vice president will use to be sworn in. the family zblibl what a big bible. >> it is extraordinary when you think about -- from people watching around the world. the fight between hillary clinton when she was running against then senator barack obama, to think she would then take the job of secretary of state. at the time during that race, during the most vitrolic part of it it was unthinkable for many on her staff. >> hill clinton early on was underestimated in this regard as somebody part of her husband's campaign and very controversial first lady in arkansas when she wanted to use her own maiden name. i watched her husband -- >> one of the celebrities there. key latino outreach important this president. she watched bill clinton would tell you the best thing that ever happened to him was losing his first re-election battle as governor to frank white in arkansas it humbled him and taught him he couldn't always get his way. she knows a lot about politics. she is a loyal dem democrat

flood a warrior. initially could you see that partnership in the days and weeks after the campaign? no. now you have seen, again, will they be best of friends? i doubt it. a very good relationship. >> joe biden. for many down here, far away down on the national mall, not that many video screens around. many in the crowd cannot see what's going on. they can sort of hear it over the loudspeaker. they can, actually, see it. wolf blitzer, from where you are, obviously, people have a much better vantage point. >> we are right here -- we did -- look behind me and you can see what's going on over there. but it is -- it is an amazing scene up here on capitol hill. on this -- front of the united states capitol. it is jam packed as we get ready for the next introduction.

we just saw the bidens being introduced. obama family, david gergen, about to introduce malia, sasha. there will be more introducti introductions. dr. jill biden will be introduced. speaker of the house, the majority leader, more members of the family, first lady. this is -- this is a -- very, very carefully orchestrated event now. every second literally has been structured time to make sure it goes through the pomp and ceremony that it deserve. >> absolutely. planned down to the moment. they have people come out and practice it. first family as well informed. one has a sense that there is a different barack obama taking the oath. he does look more confident coming here today. there was a great sense -- this great sense of hope and novelty when he first came. here he comes and very much in command, it seems, today. >> he -- he knows -- he's not

just walking into it. he missouri what the past four years have done. we read and it vm people that will watch this now, david. >> you know, here comes sasha and malia. they are walking in right now with mrs. robinson. caitlin o'neill, chief of staff, to the minority leader, nancy pelosi, is escorting them in. by the way, we have just learned eric shinseki is the member of the cabinet that will not be here because of -- they always leave someone out, god forbid, if something horrible were to happen here. all right. we are about to hear the speech from the president after he is sworn in by the chief justice of the united states. john roberts. what does he need to do, david? you worked for four american presidents. what does he need to do in this 20-minute speech that is about to take place? >> i want go back to something jessica yellin reported earlier on and that was in talking to the white house aides that he would like to reset the conversation. that was a phrase she used.

it does seem to me if they can do that in a -- city that's dysfunctional, especially fitting in some way it is president comes to the congress to make that speech can we reset the conversation? i wonder if the coffee this morning, the bipartisan coffee, was not intended to sort of begin that resetting. we will see. i think if he can get that theme, much more important to do that than this is about poetry, not about programs. >> i have also heard that the second inaugural is a response to the first. do you think they what we will hear today? >> i think it will be response to the first. >> yes. >> and the fact that -- david was saying, gloria was saying earlier, there's not the same sense of crisis this time. there is more of a sense of opportunity but also a realism how hard it is to get things done. >> listen to this. >> malia and sasha obama.

>> it is so nice to see these two daughters of the president and the first lady. we have seen them grow up over these past four years. >> it has been amazing to watch them grow up in the white house. look how tall they have grown. their parents very tall. but have you seen the sense they shied away from the cameras. while malia does still somewhat. sasha tends towards the spotlight. they are quite comfortable in the position they are in. that's a testament to their parents and how they have operated within the white house. >> i i agree. the time they spent at might -- on one hand people say he doesn't socialize muff. on the other hand, he does spend a lot of time with his daughters. he and michelle spent a lot of time with their daughters and it is working. he has a very good family. i must say after a number of first families seem somewhat dysfunctional raising their kids, three pass presidents in a row, clintons and bushes, and

now -- now the obamas who have, i think, done a really good job with their kids. >> they certainly have. i loved yesterday after the president was sworn in the private ceremony which we all saw live here around the world and -- he hugged his two girls. here comes some more guests being introduced. dr. jill biden, second lady of the united states. when little sasha -- picture of her on the screen, she hugged her dad and -- >> basically said you didn't mess it up. >> you didn't mess it up this time. how cute was that? >> i think we do see him. you saw with the kids' inaugural concert, this weekend, i do think that we are -- we see a lot of influence these two girls have had on their parents and kind of what their parents put their focus on. let's be honest, young people were a bug reason why barack obama made night the white house in the first place. >> that's right. when we also -- what we also know is that -- one of the things that has affected him emotionally the most over the last year was sandy hook. >> yes. >> the loss of those children

and relating it to his own daughters made a big, big difference. whole effort now on gun control. i think comes from that deep impact, the sandy hook had upon him as a pear. >> as a father. >> it impacted the country as well. wolf and i were there covering it. it was a terrible thing to witness. you saw a change in him when he came to speak to those families and how deeply it impacted them. >> absolutely right. >> the -- if you take a look, next to the girls, sasha and malia, can't see her now, but mrs. robinson, the mother-in-law of the president. she played a really critical role in helping to raise these girls. she lives in the white house with the first family. she's really been deeply involved in almost every aspect of their lives and nice thing to see. anderson, here on capitol hill, it is very exciting. >> accompanied by mr deputy cle

representatives, robert reeves. >> dr. jill biden being introduced. she is walking down. exciting moment important her as well. i was saying, close here, it is exciting. you you are further away. the crowd is jam-packed. i have to tell you. >> it is jam packed. all down the national mall. even those who can't see very up close what's happening. will is a lot of excitement and lot of people waving flags. milling around talking to eve other. happy to be here and happy to witness history in the making. so many people from all around the country wanted to be here on this day. as john king pointed out the roud is not as large as four years ago but they are standing shoulder to shoulder eag to see vice president biden and president obama introduced and -- also to see -- fair number of people looking forward to hearing beyonce perform the national anthem. >> little bit of politics and

policy. little bit of celebration and entertainment. perhaps as the mall fills in perhaps the crowd will -- first lady right there coming out. perhaps the crowd will surprise law enforcement official that said it would be significantly smaller than the first time around. the mall behind us, between don't know what it looks like on the other end, blocked in here, very impressive. i'm just struck watching the two daughters with the contagious smiles up there. poise and presence. i spoke to president-elect obama a pew days before his first inaugurati inauguration. he was talking about that being such a huge concern. what would their lives be like? could they have normal lives as children? i think as david gergen and wolf and kate were talking about, it seems as parents, give them an a-plus. you see malia around town sometime was her friends from school. with one or two secret service agents trailing behind in a baseball cap and letting them have a normal life. going to the restaurants. letting her go out to shops with her friends. i give them a big so far on this

one. >> they worked very hard to protect their kids and also raise up their kids, having dinner each night. president obama talked about it. not letting their kids be on facebook at this point. two hours of television a week. really the family is -- extraordinarily strong. >> in a way, just in looking at these pictures, it seems that they have grown up before our eyes. we don't get to see them a lot and focus on them. when we look at them now, we see they have gotten so tall and grown. >> especially malia. she is as tall as her mom. her mom is not short. if you have been around the first lady, even when she is wearing flats, usual within of the taller people in the room. now her daughter is as tall as she. that's shocking. >> let's listen in. >> accompanied by secretary of the senate, nancy ericson. mrs. schumer, mrs. reid, mr.

pelosi. ♪ >> michelle obama, who just turned 49, recently, changed her hair style. has been remark order. we see her with her brother. >> princeton colors. >> the girls look cold and are dancing. >> if we could talk for a moment about the speech. one of the messages we have been talking about today is the recognition of the democratic values we recognize on inauguration day and we should all pause and appreciate the ritual and ceremony today. that's a message i expect to hear from the president. one of the messages i think he is going to convey in the time of partisanship and a time when

our nation is dealing with a bitterness and sense of division, one of the themes that unites us and connects us from past to present and future is our shared belief in the principles that founded america in our shared faith in life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. and that it is our commitment to what founded america that helps us connect and move forward. and i think he will talk about this idea that we don't have to agree on everything in order to move forward on a few ideas. and -- so we should -- we should set aside our disagreements to make some deals on those few things we agree on right now. >> vice president biden. had you the chance to interview the vice president. clearly here is somebody who can very well easily be looking at 2016, a run important the president. >> i will say he's not giving it

away. whether he is. you know, we will show you some of this interview after the swearing in. it seems to me that the vice president has found his zone, if you will, inside of this white house now because as much as the president dislikes the would -- with the members of congress, heading important joe biden. >> let's listen. >> ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states, joseph r. biden. accompanied by inaugural coordinator important the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies, kelly fado. senate deputy sergeant at arms martina bradford. house deputy sergeant at arms, carrie handley. harry reid and pelosi. nancy pelosi.

>> joe biden on the left. president obama approaching. you talked about it four years ago, how he didn't have the opportunity to enjoy this day and really take it in. do you think today is much different for him? >> i really do. i think that the last -- ever since the election on move 6, i think he's -- he had a new sensibility about what it means and what he has done. i think he's now taking it in a very different way. >> you can really see it his face. he was aging by the minute, it seems, in four years. now he looks to me five years younger. i think, you know the fact he -- >> i heard from -- i heard from presidential adviser david axelrod not long ago, he said the president was in good spirits and enjoyed the worship

service this morning. but still working on his remarks. using every minute you can to get the minute right. >> get it just right. >> that's the orange and black of oregon state. the coach's scarf. >> david, how much does this president in a second term think about his legacy? >> every president thinks about their legacy. of course, he is spending more time than -- in sort of untraditional ways doing it with meeting presidential historians every now and then to talk about what it means to establish a leg and i how he can do it. you know, he studied second term and said he was familiar with the literature of it. he reads a lot and so i -- i think he thinks about it more. he's honest about it. bill clinton used to say he wasn't thinking about it. of course, every president is. >> one of the first remarks he made is -- post-election press conference was familiar with the literature about second-terms

presidents. about overreach. >> look at that scene of all the people, flags waving. that's what the president will see as he stands up to take the oath of office. extraordinary setting. >> not all presidents are given moments where they can build a legacy. bill clinton ended up being a president, a time of peace and not that much turbulence. this president has the challenges that will test him and put him in history for good or ill. >> yes. the crowd behind us basically shoulder to shoulder. people standing all the way up. all the way through to the capitol. let's listen in as the president is introduced. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states, barack h. obama. accompanied by jean borwicz.

terrence w.gaynor. senator charles e. schumer. senator alexander. the speaker of the house of representatives, john boehner. senate majority leader harry reid. house majority leader eric cantor. house democratic leader nancy pelosi. [ applause ]

♪ ♪

♪ >> joe biden was saying to the president, a little -- brought a smile to his face. seem to be -- bantering a bit will. >> yeah. >> little bit like the family that has had issues throughout the year but at least they come together for thanksgiving. mice moment to see. >> i think that -- i think they have both really found -- your point, gloria. i look at biden more friend ly.

will it is. >> here's bill clinton. >> i think everybody on that platform is so thrilled to be will and have the unique vantage point. it is a seat few people can ever imagine having. >> also, saw flash there of myrlie evers. her husband gunned down in front of his family. she was not able to get here important the march on washingt. her husband. >> the honorable charles e. schumer. >> mr. president, mr. vice president, members of congress, all who are present, and to all who are watching, welcome to the

capitol and to this celebration of our great democracy. now -- this is the 57th inauguration of an american president and no matter how many times one witnesses this event, simplicity, its innate majesty, and most of all its meaning, that sacred yet cautious and entrusting of power, from we the people to our chosen leader, never fails to make one's heart beat faster and as it will today with the inauguration of president barack h. obama. now we know that we would not be here today were it not for those who stand guard around the world to preserve our freedom, to those in our armed forces, we

offer our infinite thanks. for your bravery, your honor, your sacrifice. >> say hi. >> this democracy of ours was forged by intellect ask argument. by acty advicem and blood. and above all, from john adams to elizabeth stanton to martin luther king, by a stubborn adherence to the notion that we are all created equal and that we deserve nothing less than a great republic worthy of our consent. the theme of this year's inaugural is faith in america's future. the perfect embodiment to this unshakable confidence in the ongoing success of our

collective journey is an event from our past. i speak of the impredictable completion of the capitol dome and tapping witness the statue of freedom which occurred 150 years ago in 1863 when abraham lincoln took office would years earlier, the dome above us was a half-built eyesore. conventional wisdom was that it should be left unfinished until the war ended. given the travails and financial needs of the times. but to president lincoln, the half vintage dome symbolized the half divided nation. lincoln said if people see the capitol going on, it is a sign we intend the union shall go on. and so despite the conflict with which engulfed the nation and surrounded the city, the dome continued to rise. on december 2, 1863, the statue

of freedom, a woman, was placed atop the dome where she still stands today. in a sublime irony, it was a former slave, now free american, philip reid, who helped to cast the bronze statue. our present times are not as perilous or despairing as they were in 1863 but in 2013 far too many doubt the future of this great nation and our ability to tackle our own half finished domes. today's problems are intractable, they say. the times are so complex, the differences in the country and the world so deep, we will never overcome them. when thoughts like these produce anxiety, fear, and even despair, we do well to remember that americans have always been and still are a practical, optimistic, problem-solving people. as our history shows, no matter

how steep the climb, how difficult the problems, how half finished the task, america always rises to the occasion. america prevails and america prospers. [ applause ] and those who bet against this country have inevitably been on the wrong side of history. so it is a good moment to gaze upward and behold a statue of freedom at the top of the capitol dome. it is a good moment to gain strength and courage and humility from those who were determined to complete the half-finished dome. it is a good moment to rejoice today at this 57th presidential inaugural ceremony and it is the perfect moment to renew our collective faith in the future

of america. thank you and god bless these united states. in that spirit of faith i would now like to introduce civil rights leader myrlie evers. mrs. evers will lead us in the invocation. >> america, we are here, our nation's capital.

on this day, january 21, 2013, the inauguration of our 45th president, barack obama. we come at this time to ask blessings upon our leaders. the president, vice president, members of congress, all elected and appointed officials, of the united states of america. we are here to ask blessings upon our armed forces, blessings upon all who contribute to the essence of the american spirit. the american dream. the opportunity to become whatever our mankind, womankind, allows us to be. this is the promise of america.

as we sing the words of belief, this is my country, let us act upon the meaning that everyone is included. may the inherent dignity and inailuable rights of every man, woman, boy and girl be honored. may you will all your people, especially the least of these, flourish in our blessed nation. 150 years after the emancipation proclamation and 50 years after the march on washington, we celebrate the spirit of our ancestors which has allowed us to move from a nation of unborn hopes and a history of disenfranchised votes to today's expression of a more perfect

union. we ask, too, almighty, that where our paths seem by thorns of oppression and rippled by pangs of despair, we ask for your guidance towards the light of deliverance. and that the vision of hose who came before us and dreamed of this day, we recognize that their visions still inspire us. they are a great cloud of witnesses, unseen by the naked eye. but all around us, thankful that their living was not in vain. for every mountain, you gave us the strength to climb. your grace is pleaded to continue that climb for america

and the world. we now stand beneath the shadow of the nation's capitol whose golden dome reflect it is unity and democracy of one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. approximately four miles from where we are assembled, the hill owed remains of men and women rest in arlington cemetery, they who believed fought and died for this country. may their spirit infuse our being to work together with the respect and enabling us to continue to build this nation and in so doing, we send a message to the world that we are strong, fierce, in our strength. and ever vigilant in our pursuit

of freedom. we ask that you grant our president the will to act courageously but cautiously when confronted with danger and to act prudently but deliberately when challenged by adversity. please continue to best his efforts, to lead by example, and in consideration and favor of the diversity of our people. bless our families all across this nation. we thank you important this opportunity of prayer, to strengthen us for the journey through the days that lie ahead. we invoke the prayers of our grandmothers, who taught us to pray, god, make me a blessing.

let their spirit guide us as we claim the spirit of old. there's something within me that holds the reins. there's something within me that banishes pain. there's something within me i cannot explain. but all i know, america, will is something within. there is something within. in jesus' name, in the name of all who are holy and right, we pray. amen. >> amen. [ applause ]

>> i am pleased to introduce the award-winning tabernacle choir, the brooklyn tabernacle choir, to sing "battle hymn of the republic." ♪ ♪ glory glory hallelujah ♪ glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪

♪ i have seen him in the watch fires ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah

♪ glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ >> ♪ in the beauty of the lilies christ was born across the sea ♪

♪ ♪ marching on ♪ glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪ ♪ marching on ♪ glory glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah

glory glory hallelujah his truth is marching on ♪ his truth is marching on ♪ ♪ his truth is marching on [ cheers and applause ]

>> please join me in welcoming my colleague and my friend, the senator from tennessee the honorable lamar alexander. [ applause ] >> mr. president, mr. vice president, ladies and gentlemen. the late alex haley, the author of "roots," lived his life by niece six words. find the good and praise it. today we praise the american tradition of transferring or reaffirming immense power in the inauguration of the president of the united states. we do this in a peaceful orderly way. there is no mob, no coup, no insurrection. this is a moment when millions stop and watch.

a moment most of us always will remember. it is a moment that is our most conspicuous and enduring symbol of the american democracy. how remarkable that this has survived for so long in such a complex country, when so much power is at stake, this freedom to vote for our leaders and the restraint to respect the results. last year at mt. vernon, a tour guide told me that our first president, george washington, once posed this question. what is most important washington asked of this grand experiment, the united states. then washington answered his own question in this way. not the election of the first president but the election of

its second president. the peaceful transfer of power is what will separate our country from every other country in the world. so today we celebrate the 57th inauguration of the american president, find the good and praise it. now it is my honor -- [ applause ] it is my honor to introduce the associate justice of the supreme court, sonia sotomayor, for the purpose of administering the oath of office to the vice president. will everyone please stand. >> thanks for doing this. >> thank you. mr. vice president, please raise

your right hand and repeat after me. i, joseph r. biden jr., do solemnly swear -- >> i, joseph r. biden jr., do solemnly swear -- >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. >> against all enemies foreign and domestic. >> against all enemies foreign and domestic. >> that i will bear true of faith and allegiance to the same. >> i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. >> that i take this obligation freely. >> i take this obligation freely. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. >> and that i will well and faithfully discharge. >> that i will well and faithfully discharge. >> the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. >> tduties of the office i am about to enter. >> so help me god. >> so help me god.

>> congratulations. [ applause ] ♪ >> it is my pleasure to introduce renowned musical artist james taylor.

♪ oh beautiful for spacious skies ♪ ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪ ♪ for purple mountains' majesty above the fruited plain ♪ ♪ america america ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee ♪ ♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea

to shining sea ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea ♪ sea [ applause ] >> it is my honor to present the chief justice of the united states, john g. roberts, jr., who will administer the presidential oath of office. everyone please rise.

>> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> that i will competent faithfully execute the ofrs of prt of the united states. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. ♪

[ cannon blasts ] >> ladies and gentlemen, it is my great privilege and distinct honor to introduce the 44th president of the united states of america, barack h. obama!

[ applause ] >> thank you very much. vice president biden, chief justice, members of the united states congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens. each time we gather to

inaugerate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our constitution. we affirm the promise of our democracy. we recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenance of our faith or the origins of our names. what makes us exceptional, what makes us american, is our allegiance to an idea articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago. we hold these troops to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. the day our endowed by our

creator with certain inalienable rights, but among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. today we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. for history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they've never been self-executing. that while freedom is a gift from god, it must be procured by his people here on earth. the patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob, they gave to us a republic, a

government of and by and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed. for more than 200 years, we have. through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of equality can be half free. we vowed to move forward together. together we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce, schools and colleges to train our workers. together we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play. together we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect his people from life's worst hazards

and misfortune. through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society's ills can be cured through government alone. our celebration of initiative and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, these are constants in our character. we have always understood that when times change, so must we. the fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses and new challenges. that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. the american people can no more meet the demands of today's world by acting alone than american soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or

communism with muskets or militias. no single person can train the math and science teachers we'll need to equip our children for the future. or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people. [ cheers and applause ] >> this generation of americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. a decade of war is now ending. [ applause ] >> an economic recovery has begun. america's possibilities are limitless, for we possess all

the qualities that this world without boundaries demands. youth and drive, diversity and openness. an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. my fellow americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it so long as we seize it together! [ applause ] >> for we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. [ applause ] >> we believe that america's prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. we know that america thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work, when the wages of honest

labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. we are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anyone else because she is an american, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of god but also in our own. [ applause ] >> we understand that our programs are inadequate for the needs of our time. we must harvest new ideas and new technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, reach higher. while the means will change, our purpose endures. a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single american, that is what this moment requires.

that is what will give real meaning to our creed. we, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. we must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. [ applause ] >> but we remember the lessons of our past when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. we do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the

few. we recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss or a sudden illness or a home swept away in a terrible storm. the commitments we make to each other through medicare and medicaid and social security, these things do not sap our nation, they strengthen us. [ applause ] >> they do not make us a nation of takers, they free us to take the risks that make this country great. [ applause ] >> we, the people, still believe that our obligations as americans are not just to ourselves but to all posterity. we will respond to the threat of

climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. [ applause ] >> some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms. a path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. but america cannot resist this transition. we must lead it. we cannot cede to other nations the technology that will give them more jobs and other industries, we must claim its promise. that's how we will retain our economic vitality and our national treasure, our forests and waterways, our crop lands and snow-capped peaks. that is how we will preserve our

planet commanded to our care by god. that's what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared. we, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. [ applause ] >> our brave men and women in uniform tempered by the flames of battle are unmatched in skill and courage. our citizens, feared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price it has paid for liberty. the knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. but we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just

the war. who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well. we will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. we will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully, not because we are naive about the dangers we face but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. america will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe. and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has the greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. we will support democracy from asia to africa, from the americas to the middle east, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. and we must be a source of hope

to the poor, the sick, the ma e marginalized, the victims of charity. but only because we are principals of what our common creed prescribes, human dignity and justice. we, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths, that all of us are created equal. it's the star that guides us still just as it guided our forebearers through seneca falls and stonewall, just as it guided those women and men, sung and unsung, to hear preachers say we cannot walk alone.

to hear our king proclaim that our individual freedom is bound to the freedom of waters. it is now our generation's task to carry on what those pioneers began. for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. [ applause ] >> our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. [ applause ] >> our journey is not complete until no citizen has to wait for hours to exercise the right to

vote. [ applause ] >> our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welco welcome the thriving, hopeful immigrants who still see america as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are lifted in our work force rather than expelled from our country. [ applause ] >> our journey is not complete until all our children from the streets of detroit to the hills of the appalachians to the quiet lands of newtown know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. that is our generation's task, to make these works, these rights, these values of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every

american. being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life. it does not mean we all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. progress does not compel us to settle century's long debates about the role of government for all time, but it does require us to act in our time. [ applause ] >> for now decisions are upon us and we cannot afford delay. we cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute for politi politics, or use name calling as reasonable debate. we must act. we must act knowing that our

work will be imperfect. we must act knowing that today's victories will be only partial and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years and 40 years and 400 years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare philadelphia hall. my fellow americans, the oath i have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who served in this capitol, was an oath to god and country. not party or faction. and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the integration of our service. but the words i spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty. or an immigrant realizes her

dream. my oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride. they are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. you and i as citizens have the power to set this country's course. you and i as citizens have the obligation to shape the debates of our time, not only with the votes we cast but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals. let us each now embrace with solemn duty and awesome joy what is our lasting birthright. with common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.

thank you, god bless you, and may he forever bless these united states of america. [ cheers and applause ] [ applause ] >> at this time, please join me

in welcoming award-winning artist kelly clark soson, accompanied by the united states marine band. ♪ ♪ my country 'tis of three ♪ sweet land of liberty

♪ of thee i sing ♪ land where my fathers died ♪ land of the pilgrims' pride ♪ from every mountainside ♪ let freedom ring ♪ let music show the way ♪ and ring from all the trees

♪ sweet freedom's song ♪ let them come awake ♪ let the silence break ♪ the sound so long ♪ ♪ my fathers guiding me ♪ to all liberty ♪ with freedom's holy light

♪ from god our king ♪ [ applause ] >> wow. our next distinguished guest is the poet richard blanco who will share with us words he has composed for this occasion. [ applause ]

>> mr. president, mr. vice president, america won today. one sun rose on us today, creeping over our shores, greeting the faces of the great lakes, spreading a simple truth across the great plains and charging across the rockies. one light waking up rooftops, under each one a story told by our silent gestures moving

across windows. my faith, your faith, millions of faces in morning's mirrors, each one yawning to life, crescendoing to our day. the school buses, rhythms of traffic lights, fruit stands, oranges, begging our praise. silver trucks heavy with oil or paper, bricks or milk teaming over highways alongside us on our way to clean tables, read ledgers or save lives. to teach geometry or ring up groceries as my mother did for 20 years so i could write this poem for all of us today.

all of us, as vital as the one light we move through, the same light on blackboards with lessons for the day, equations to solve, history to question or atoms imagined. the i have a dream we all keep dreaming or the voluntary of sorrow that won't explain the empty desks of 20 children marked absent today and forever. many prayers. but one light breathing color into stained glass windows, life into the faces of bronze statues, warmth onto the steps of our museums and park benches as mothers watch children slide

into the day. one ground, our ground, rooting us to every stalk of corn, every head of wheat sown by sweat and hands, hands gleaming cold from planting windmills in deserts and hilltops that keep us warm, hands digging trenches, routing pipes and cables, hands as worn as my father's cutting sugar cane so my brother and i could have books and shoes. the dust of farms and deserts, cities and plains mingled by one wind, our breath. breathe. hear it through the gorgeous din of honging cabs, buses going down avenues, the cars and

screeching subways, the unexpected songbird on your clothesline. hear squeaky playground swings. hear the doors we open each day for each other saying, hello, shalom, bon journo, or buen buenas dias. the language my mother taught me, one language spoken into the wind, carrying our lives without prejudice as these words break from my lips. one sky to see appalachians and sierras claimed their majesty and the mississippi and colorado work their way to the sea. thank the work of our hands

weaving steel into bridges, finishing one more report for the boss on time, stitching another wound or uniform, the first brushstroke on a portrait or the last floor on the freedom tower jutting into the sky that yields to our resilience. one sky toward which we sometimes lift our eyes, tired from work. some days guessing at the weather of our lives. some days giving thanks for a love that loves you back. sometimes praising a mother who knew how to give or forgiving a father who couldn't give what you wanted. we head home through the gloss of rain or weight of snow or the plum blush of dusk, but always,

always home. always under one sky, our sky, and always one moon like a silent drum tapping on every rooftop and every window of one country. all of us facing the stars. hope, a new constellation, waiting for us to map it, waiting for us to name it together. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, it is now my privilege to introduce

reverend dr. luis deleone to deliver the benediction. >> let us pray. gracious and eternal god, as we conclude the second inauguration of president obama, we ask for your blessings as we seek to become, in the words of martin luther king, citizens of a beloved community, loving you and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we pray that you will bless us with your continued presence, because without it, hatred and arrogance will infect our hearts. but with your blessing, we know

that we can break down the walls that separate us. we pray for your blessing today, because without it, mistrust, prejudice and rancor will rule our hearts. but with the blessing of your presence, we know that we can renew the ties of mutual regard which can best form our civic life. we pray for your blessing, because without it, suspicion, despair and fear of those different from us will be our rule of life. but with your blessing, we can see each other created in your image, a unit of god's grace, unprecedented, irrepeatable and irreplaceable. we pray for your blessing because without it, we will see only what the eye can see, but with the blessing of your

blessing, we will see that we are created in your image whether brown, black or white, male or female, first generation immigrant american or daughter of the american revolution, gay or straight, rich or poor. we pray for your blessing because without it, we will only see scarcity in the midst of abundan abundance. but with your blessing, we will recognize the abundance of the gifts of this good land with which you have endowed this nation. we pray for your blessing. bless all of us, privileged to be citizens and residents of this nation with a spirit of gratitude and hue mimility that may become a blessing of nations among this world. we pray that you will shower with your life-giving spirit the

elected leaders of this land, especially barack, our president, and joe, our vice president. fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, that they may serve this nation ably and be glad to do your will. endow their hearts with wisdom and forbearance so that peace may prevail with righteousness, justice and order so that men throughout this nation can find the fulfillment of our humanity. we pray that the president, vice president and all in political authority wi remember the words of the prophet micah what should the lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and always walk humbly with god. [ spanish ]

>> mr. president, mr. vice president, may god bless you all your days. all this we pray in your most holy name, amen. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the singing of our national anthem by award-winning artist beyonce, accompanied by the u.s. marine band. following the national anthem, please remain at your place while the presidential party exits the platform.

♪ ♪ oh, say can you see ♪ by the dawn's early light ♪ what so proudly we hail ♪ at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ through the perilous fight ♪ oer the ramparts we watched

♪ were so gallantly streaming ♪ and the rockets red glare ♪ the bombs bursting in air ♪ gave proof through the night ♪ that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ oe accident land of the free ♪

♪ and the home of the brave brave ♪ [ applause ] ♪ >> the president of the united states and the vice president of

the united states. yesterday was the start of the second term, but today is really the start of the second term because we heard the president spell out in considerable details his priorities for the second term. and, indeed, he went way beyond what i thought he was going to do in laying out his agenda, not only on specific economic issues, on national security issues but also seeking his very personal feelings about climate change, for example. i was surprised to hear him get into some of those political details. jay wright is mahe is making itr he supports gay marriage. he wants to go forward on certain entitlement issues and not deal with -- not avoid some of those political issues like social security and medicare and medicaid. those are his priorities right now, and we even heard him talk about newtown, connecticut and

the president of the united states was very, very forceful in these words. it was clear he thought long and hard about each sentence he was going to make, because each one had a potentially very powerful political impact in setting the agenda for his second term. so the president of the united states surprised me, but he went forward and went into such specific details on these important issues, that anderson, you could tell i was surprised, but i wonder how you reacted from what you heard from the president. >> we should also point out the president and vice president, first lady sand mrs. biden will be heading for lunch inside the capitol building, so we won't see them for some time. but just echoing what you said, i think his comments on climate change are maybe probably surprising to a number of people. it's not something we heard really anything about over the first four years. clearly it seems to be something this president feels very

strongly about moving forward in the next four years and for his legacy. and for a president who only recently, to use his word, evolved on the issue of same-sex marriage, he made very forceful statements in this inaugural address. actually, historic statements on equal rights for gay and lesbian americans, putting in the same category seneca falls back in 1848 when a womans' rights convention was held, and in alabama when alabama state troops attacked gay marchers. he put up the stonewall uprising which took place in new york's greenwich village when police raided a small gay bar called the stonewall and patrons of that bar fought back. and the modern day civil rights

movements for gay americans, and he went on talking about gay americans, saying it's not liberty until our sisters and brothers are created like everyone else under the law, and surely our love for one another must be equal as well. i think that's the only time, john king, where americans were permanently cited. >> the president of the united states has certainly evolved over the last four years on this issue. it's not the most flowery speech. we've heard this president use more flowery rhetoric in the past, but i think it was an eloquent speech in a simple, approachable way, and i thought it was very clever and artfully crafted politically in that he tied everything he wanted to do, some of it very controversial. immigration, gun control, ga righ -- gay rights, some other controversial issues. he tied it back to the founding fathers, saying it can always

get more perfect. or he tied it to the other man we honor on this day, dr. martin luther king and his involvement in the bigger, broader civil rights movement, that the journey is not done. artfully constructed. not a fifine details, but some s that are hard to achieve. >> i agree with jon, i think this was artfully constructed to use jon's phrase. there was more specificity than i thought. it was sort of a more poetic version of the state of the union speech. he made it very clear that these are the things he intends to do, these are things he wants to do in the next term, talking about the middle class, talking about climate change, putting republicans, i thought, on notice that we reject the belief that america must choose between

caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build his future, which means social security and health care, cares about the deficit but cares about building for the future. i think that there were no real surprises here other than the fact that the president stated his agenda step by step. >> david moranis is with us. how do you think it compares to his address in 2009? >> well, it was much more positive and much more active. i could feel his heart beating this time. it wasn't a cool obama. i think what he said, that this is our moment, i think he was feeling it was his moment. and he did -- as jon said, he took the founding fathers' language, martin luther king's language and melded it into his own and put it into a statement of action for what he wants to

do. >> dan? >> well, first of all, i think it was extraordinary and we can't underscore the importance of him saying that lesbian and gay sisters and brothers are equal, that their rights are equal. this is groundbreaking for western civilization. it's very, very extraordinary. i also think it's important, he didn't back down from the fight. he decided he was going to step forward, he was going to make this case for his own values, and he was going to put those values in the context of the deepest american values. in that way much like reagan. reagan didn't back down from the fight. he tried to frame the fight in very deep, historical terms and values all americans could believe in. he did stand up on the question of climate change, he did stand up on the question of clean energy. these are important things. he had to speak to his coalition in terms that would resonate with the country, and he spoke -- it is a rainbow

coalition. he spoke to poverty, he spoke to women, he spoke to african-americans. when he used that language of the blood drawn from the lash and from the sword, that was a very powerful moment, i think, for every african-american. he spoke to every stripe in his rainbow coalition. that rainbow coalition is now the governing coalition in america. he spoke to it powerfully and beautifully. have you heard a lot of his speeches? >> this wasn't a sense of a grab bag a bit in the way the state of the union is. it wasn't a single vision for what the president plans to tackle next. it wasn't a single driving message from the president. >> let's just go to dana bash. dana, you're right where the president is. >> that's right, he just walked in. you can see him walking through the capitol rotunda, marveling at the magnificent architecture. he's walking with the vice president. he just walked by myself and other reporters here. he said, hello, how are you?

we asked him, how do you feel? he said, i feel great. he's walking with the house republicans and democrats over to the senate side, and he's going to have some formal ceremonies now. the formality is signing some official papers. some of them are important because they actually give him a paycheck, put him on the payroll, as well as members of the cabinet. after that he's going to be back in here and he's going to go to the lunch. that's been happening for 60 years right around here in the statutory hall, which is right back there. you can see people streaming in, senator kerry, you can see him behind me. the senator from massachusetts, soon to be, we assume, the next secretary of state, and other members of the senate. we have a pretty good view of the really exclusive vip guest list. their lunch should begin after

the signing. >> you had asked earlier if the president has changed in office, and what we did not hear was the sobbing message of hope and change or red and blue america. what you heard here was a leader who plans to get some things done in the time he has left. and he is programmatic about laying out what he will do, claiming it to the people in america right now, the people he plans to rally to get his agenda supported in the grassroots level and create a context to get it done in washington with this speech by using the words of founding fathers, and that's important to try to push it. the other piece we haven't talked about is the education reform and the drawdown overseas. >> well, there was a big idea, i think, in the speech today, and that was equality. that's what this speech was about. >> let's check in with wolf.

>> the president is about to sign a proclamation. he's also about to nominate several members of his cabinet. let's see if we can listen in. >> all set? all right. i'm proclaiming peace, honor and good will towards men. >> amen. >> i'm sending a few nominations up.

mr. charles headinger for defense, mr. john kerry, secretary of state, and mr. [ inaudible ] >> there you go. thank you very much, everybody. >> thank you. [ applause ] >> so the president, once again, formally nominating members of his cabinet. chuck hagel to be secretary of defense, john kerry to be secretary of state, john brent. let's listen in to see what else he's saying. >> that's yours.

>> so they have a little -- a few laughs, a little official business, the nomination of cabinet members, signing a proclamation. dana bash, what's going to happen next? >> what's going to happen next, wolf, is the president is going to come back from the senate side of the capitol where he is now through the center into statutory hall. that's where there will now be the traditional post-inaugural lunch. as i said before, it is extremely exclusive. this is only 220 guests that make this list. and it is something that is really tends to bring together in a very intimate way himself, members of the leadership, house and senate, democrat/republican, members of the supreme court. it's so exclusive that the president himself only gets a little more than a dozen seats that can go as his personal

guests. we're hoping the president will move through where we are to the capitol rotunda for lunch. >> thank you, dana. we're going to make our way to the white house to the viewing stand momentarily. but a quick thought on what the president had to say. >> we just heard one of the most important speeches barack obama has given as president. >> why? >> it's central to what he believes in. he basically said when i came in the first term, we had all these emergencies, we had these wars. we've now started to clear the deck, let's talk about what's essential. he placed himself squarely in the tradition of martin luther king and abraham lincoln. if anything, i thought in many ways it was a response to king, his version of the march on washington 50 years ago. because it was set forward in the same way alex started talking about this. and everything else flowed from there. >> and it was appropriate he did it on martin luther king jr.'s celebration here in washington. >> absolutely.

>> anderson, we'll be in close touch with you. we should get there fairly soon. >> all right, wolf, we'll continue to hold down the coverage while you make your way to the reviewing stand, because the if he the festivities continue through this lunch. this is really a very important speech, and as david miranda said you can really hear the president's heart beat in this speech. let's listen again. >> we must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. [ applause ]

>> gloria, you cited that. >> i think it was the president saying, i'm going to stand up for what i believe in. i'm not going to choose between generations. my generation needs to build on what the generation has done before us. and i think that doesn't only refer to social security or the deficit. i think it also does refer to civil rights. it refers to equality, what generations did before, what martin luther king did before. my generation will continue. so he spoke about civil rights. he talked about having to act about gun violence, he talked about climate change. so it's part of this construct of, as the president used to say, the fierce urgency of now. he said, we have divided views of government, but we cannot let these century-long debates about the role of government for all time stop us from acting right now. >> the fierce urgency now is the

phrase that dr. king himself used. do you agree with david that this was a speech of barack obama's, president obama's response to dr. king? >> i felt that way, and i felt that you have -- he had an opportunity, the 50-year anniversary this year of that speech, to put his own marker down for equality. and i think that it was nailed by alex. this was a piece about equality. i think it's also important to recognize a question of his patriotism that has gone on in some parts of the far right. he doesn't believe in some american values, he had to take those values as he believes them and put them in the context as dr. king did. i think he did a nice job of putting his beliefs to america. >> and there's legendary civil

rights leader talking to hillary clinton. >> you have that kind of history all day long today. edgar's widow was supposed to be here. she couldn't get here. he was assassinated fighting for voting rights. >> if i could put sort of martin luther king holiday and barack obama into the perspective of these biographiebiographies, th was born, august 4, 1961, four freedom riders were arrested in shreveport, louisiana for walking into the whites only section of the trailways terminal. when he was two that very day, j.d. goodman's bodies were found, the civil rights worker. when he was three, the senate put the final approval to the civil rights act, which made his rights possible. >> dana bash is standing by with john lewis. dana? >> that's right, we are honored to have john lewis here who is now member of congress, but most

importantly, i think, given this day, you were a compatriot of martin luther king, jr. what did it feel like to stand here on martin luther king holiday with a black president being inaugerat ainaugurated fod time? >> it was very moving, unreal, almost unbelievable to see president obama taking the oath with martin luther king, jr. i saw him reading that on mabib many, many occasions. >> you heard in the president's speech mention in one breath thelma, stonewall, seneca falls. what did that mean to you? >> the president was saying in spite of our differences, in spite of all of our issues, the difficulties, that we're one people. we're one american.

it doesn't matter whether we're black or white, hispanic, asian american, native american, it doesn't matter whether we're straight or gay, we're one people. we're one country. that we all live in the same house, the american house. >> you have such an experience behind you at selma. you were beaten up. take us back in time then and put yourself back then looking forward to this day where a black president was inaugurated for a second term. >> i did everything possible today to keep from crying. when i saw him standing there, taking the oath, beside martin luther king, jr., knowing just 50 short years ago that dr. king stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial and said, i have a dream. there was so many people who

voted for him last year -- four years ago couldn't even vregistr to vote. >> you mentioned the fact that you traveled with dr. king. you saw him using that very bible that president obama used to put his hand on to take the oath right now. can you give us some recollection, any anecdotes, about being with dr. king while he was using that same bible? >> well, dr. king used the bible to get a message of hope, to be inspired, to have the courage to stand up and do what he did in 1963, 50 years ago. he had the ability to turn those steps then by reading that bible, turn those steps into a great speech. it gave him the courage to walk

from montgomery, to move from atlanta and the did you say -- dusty roads to tennessee. >> thank you very much for talking to us. thank you. >> for him to reference stonewall in the same sentence as selma and seneca falls, it is extraordinary because he's essentially saying, which is a controversial statement, that the fight for equal rights for gay and lesbian americans is a fight for civil rights. and among some people, they do not hold that viewpoint. >> that argument has now been settled. that argument has been settled. it is a civil rights question that all love is equal. and when you have the president of the united states say on that same platform -- you just heard john lewis. that was the last living human

being that spoke on that stage 50 years ago, john lewis. he just said it's a civil rights issue. that question now is settled as far as i'm concerned. it's a moment in history. >> let's check in with the reaction of the crowd. don, what are you hearing from people? >> john lewis, of course, from georgia. i live in georgia. i see john lewis all the time, a big proponent for gay rights. he came out for it and says it all the time. there are gay people out on the mall. we're very proud. some people were surprised in a good way that the president mentioned gay rights in his speech. r reggi was one of them. when the president mentioned gay rights and mentioned stonewall, what did you think? >> i thought it was good it was inclusive like that. >> did you ever think a president would mention that in an inaugural address? >> it's a little bit surprising, but given his history, the obama administration's history with

the repeal of don't ask, don't tell and also his revolution of gay marriage, it's not that surprising. >> what about you, greg? you were surprised he specifically mentioned stonewall. >> i was surprised that he mentioned stonewall because it's not something you hear when they talk about civil rights, especially from a president, so that really struck me when he said that. >> what do you think it does for gay people not only in this country but around the world? >> i hope it pushes us forward and makes us equal with everyone else, included with everyone else in the country. >> do you feel an additional sense of pride having heard the president mention that today? >> yes, i do. i really do. it makes me feel good to be an american right now and makes me think things will be better in the future. >> thanks pho boto both of you, thanks to the students from kentucky who stood around and

waite waited. for you, it was really a speech about better equality? >> i think speeches are not only spoken, they're lived, and to see a black man stand in front of his nation's capitol today and for the second time take an oath of office, and then say remind us of the most evident of truths, that all of us are created equal, that doesn't happen everywhere in the world. what a powerful moment. but, you know, there are two ways to lead people. one way is a john f. kennedy style speech saying, let's all of us go to the moon together, let's all of us go on a great mission. he didn't give that speech today. >> dana bash has former president jimmy carter. dana? >> that's right. mr. president, thank you so much. it's a pleasure to have you here. what are your first and initial reactions to president obama's speech? >> it was a very progressive speech, and i think it outlined some of the things that need to be done these next four years, and i don't have any doubt that he'll be much mora tee attentiv those things than he could be in

the first four years. i was really impressed with the talk of diversity, for the prayers, for the songs. this was also very impressive. and i think it was just kind of a good spirit today, not an excitement like it was four years ago when i was also here, not an excitement like that, but i think an element of anticipati anticipation, more stable and progressive, and i think more productive administration during these next four years. and i believe there is going to be some immediate move to focus on a long-overdue bill to deal with immigration, and some elements of gun control, not very much. >> my understanding covering the white house is there is some kind of secret society in former presidents who are living. how often do you talk to president obama? >> not very often to him, but i've been very close to his

secretary of state. usually when they have programs in 70 countries around the world, most of them in africa, so the things we do don't relate to the white house as they do with the state department, so i've stayed in contact with president clinton. maybe this next time will be more -- >> president obama is a democratic president. looking back, what would you have liked to have done, or maybe even let's look forward. what do you hope president obama can achieve that you didn't have the opportunity to because you had one term? >> when i left the white house, there was peace between israel and egypt. there was a pledge of peace between israel and the palestinians, and that issue has not gone out the back door. my hope is it will be resurrected and we can have peace for israel which has been one of my prayers for over 30

years and peace for their neighbors as well. i just got back from china, and my concern is there is an element of antagonism that is building between the united states and china, which could degenerate into a very serious confrontation. i hope that will change, because when i left office, we had just normalized diplomatic relations with china. that's another concern. i think there is going to be now a movement on immigration, which i just pointed out. i noticed he mentioned global warming and environment. that's another thing we need to move forward to attend to. he has a big agenda ahead of him, and very serious problems in several countries in the world, but i think his movement out of war, as he said, ending a deca decade, as a matter of fact, more than a decade of war, i hope that will prevail. >> thank you, mr. president. enjoy the lunch. i heard it's pretty tasty. back to you, anderson.

>> you see the supreme court justice scalia there, and now you see john kerry. we just saw barack obama signing the papers for him to be nominated as secretary of state. let's check in with robin meade. robin? >> if you're on the national mall like these folks were, i want to see how the speech resonated with them. i told them they could get their word in. stephanie is from indianapolis, and you said there is a part of the speech that really resonated with you. >> yes, it was a very emotional moment, but the best part was the president calling us to unite as a nation, unite as a nation. it was wonderful. >> how about you, gwen, over here? >> he just talked about how we are such a resilient nation, and i just thought, you know, i live in new jersey, so we just did the sandy storm, and, you know, a lot of people, a lot of my friends, their houses got swept

away, so, you know, he was saying, hey, you know, even though we can be at our lowest point, we're a nation that always comes back, and we would stand at the forefront. so to me that was a big thing. we really need to focus on that. >> gwen, thank you. so you had the same feelings that resonated with the crowd here. anderson? >> obviously the tragedy in newtown resonated with this president very deeply. let's listen to that part of the inaugural address. >> our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of detroit to the hills of the appalachians to the quiet lanes of newtown know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm. >> david, this is clearly something the president was extraordinarily moved by and continues to be.

>> i think that newtown changed obama. and i think when he said that was the most difficult day of his presidency, i think there was a level of remorse, of guilt, that he had not moved more on gun control in the first term. that sort of set a passion and resolve that really helped transform him. i think we can feel it today. >> several days ago he talked about the family of grace mcdonald who was killed in newtown. grace's father chris gave him a picture of an owl that grace had drawn which he framed and has put in his private study right off the oval office. >> presidents sometimes keep these things to remind them of what they were sent to office to do. and the picture hanging on the wall is important, because, as you heard former president jimmy carter say to dana bash, some of gun control will get through. sometimes you need those things to remind you that you have to push and you have to continue to push, and i think that's what we

heard in the speech today, actually. a push on equality, a push on principle and then an action agenda which we heard detailed in the speech. >> if you look at any one of the controversial things, talking about making further advances in gay rights, again, groundbreaking advances in civil rights, climate change, a heavy lift, immigration and climate change were on the first term list. the president alluded to the fact he didn't really fight for them because there was a political list. now he has a second term. do you try to do all the hard things and you might fail, and what does that say about your legacy, or do you just pick a couple things to add to your basket? today he made the case he's going to try on some pretty heavy lists. and if we judge him in a year or two by what he said today, this

is pretty substantial. we need to see the specifics. you need to compromise. he's saying no one man can do these things. he's not saying my way or the highway, but he's saying this is my list and i'm staying at it. it will be fantastic to see six months or a year from now because these are not small, in consequen consequential items. >> and they don't have that much time to get things done. >> he said we are made for this moment and we will seize it. he said we will make progress. it requires us to act in our time. so this speech was about -- for the centuries, for the future, by talking about equality, but there was also a measure of recognizing he has to act now. >> well, some of the issues which he talked about, particularly on equal rights for

gay and lesbian americans, joining us now our senior legal analyst. jeffrey, two major supreme court rulings to be coming up on the so-called marriage defense act and also proposition a. >> as you noticed, this incredibly strong embrace of gay rights in the speech where he put stonewall in the same category with seneca falls and selma, standing right beside the supreme court that will consider these issues. remember, this is a president who, when his parents got married in hawaii, their marriage was a crime in 19 states. interracial marriage was still constitutionally -- there was no prohibition against those sorts of laws, it wasn't until 1967 that the supreme court said states could no longer ban interracial marriage. that case for gay rights potentially is before the supreme court, and it's going to

be argued in march. and the parallel there is really quite striking. >> from a republican standpoint, did the president reach out enough, do you think, to the opposition, to his opposition in washington? >> i think that's the issue that republicans will have. as we started to say, this is not a speech that john f. kennedy might have given to inspire folks, let's go on a great mission together. this was the speech of a warrior. this was an fdr type of speech. as a matter of fact, when fdr in his second inaugural said, our problem is social justice. our problem is not more for those who already have much, it's getting enough for those who have so little. when we take care of that problem, we can move forward as a country. barack obama echoed that today. he said things like, our country cannot succeed with a shrinking few who do very well and a growing many barely make it.

echoes of fdr, a fighting president who also had a long-term stagnant economy. this was a guy who is ready to go to combat, and he said, look, you both were great but i now need your voices. >> alex brings up history. let's check with h.w. brands. he's a professor and author from the university of texas. i'm curious about your viewpoint on this speech from a historical perspective. >> a couple things. i was struck by the fairly combative tone the president took. it's really clear he's not backing down from the fact that he won the election, so he's going to govern because he won. he and the other people in office took the oath to god and his country. he tried to reach over the heads of his opposition by repeatedly calling to the people. fellow citizens, fellow citizens, we need to do this. i think perhaps the most important part of the speech is one that's gone comparatively unremarked so far, and that is

his review to his predecessors for what he called his declaration of war and his belief that the united states does not have to seek a policy of perpetual war, that instead of pursuit of war can be replaced by the pursuit of peace. the reason i think this might be most significant is it's perhaps one agenda he lays out that he'll actually be able to do. presidents often turn to foreign affairs because it gets the greatest initiative. to change american policy, he can do that pretty much by himself. >> his team he's appointing reflects that view. the defense department says the building needs to be downsized. senator kerry, another vietnam veteran who has been very skeptical. the professor makes a key point about the president's world view, be more cautious than his

predecessors. i want to make another comment on the gay rights comment. if you look at women's rights, civil rights, someone in a leadership position who for a long time has been saying no has to say yes to bring the moovemet along. it was the old bulls in the civil rights movement. president kennedy was a no. he was more skeptical with his religious upbringing. the civil rights movement it based in the african-american church. some of them still say no but a lot fewer today than a few years ago. >> i don't think he ever really said no. that was a political calculation and he was trying to bring people along. i think he was waiting to get to that moment. >> let's check in with dana bash. i think the president went by her again. dana? >> that's right, anderson.

we're standing again in the capitol rotunda. right over behind me is where statutory hall is. you see the pictures right there of john kerry and other senators inside waiting for the president. in fact, we're waiting for the president ourselves. he should walk by us pretty much any minute. you saw him earlier doing some official signing, signing some important things like officially nominating some new members -- he hopes will be new members of his cabinet. so we're waiting for him to walk by here and go into his lunch. one interesting little anecdote, and i mentioned this earlier in our programming, but i think it's worth repeating. four years ago the president, according to the senate curator, who watched him most of the time, he didn't eat. he instead walked around from table to table, socializing. which is pretty ironic now, because over the past four years, or the past few months, when things got critical, the

president has been criticized for not socializing enough. we'll see if he sits down and eats, keeps to himself or if he goes around the room and shakes hand with democrats, republicans and chief justices and the other members of the exclusive guest list who will be at this lunch. >> talking about this lunch, who is invited? here's the president and the vice president. vice president and his wife. dana, who was invited to this lunch? it's not all members of the senate. >> not at all. 220 tickets, that's all. so some of the most senior members of the senate are invited, the leadership of the house and the senate, some of the most senior members of the house. also, as i said, members of the supreme court, the joint chiefs are invited. i'm looking over here because i believe the president is about to walk by. i see his official photographer so he should come any minute. here they come. here comes president obama and mrs. mrs. obama going to their

lunch. you see that he is escorted, anderson, by some of the senate folks who really keep the senate running like the sergeant in arms but also senator chuck shermer who is goipart of the inaugural committee. >> president obama and mrs. obama accompanied by chuck schumer and mrs. schumer.

[ applause ] >> dan, i know senator schumer from new york who organized this luncheon was responsible for the menu. he wanted to make sure most of the items on the menu were from new york. i think they're apples from upstate new york. i understand he tried to get long island duck but they ended up with bison from out of state. >> the reason that happened is they also had this very interesting tradition where the spouses of the members of the joint inaugural committee actually do a tasting. and they tasted the duck and they said, according to schumer, that it was kind of gross, so

they decided to do the bi sorks -- bi sorksson. let's listen. >> mr. president. ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. mr. president, mr. vice

president, honored guests, my colleagues on the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies and i are pleased to welcome you to today's inaugural luncheon. in this historic room, we look around at the 35 statues representing men and women. well, one woman. thank you, lenore and senator durbin for the statue of senator willard, although i feel obligated to note that she was born in rochester, new york. thankfully, she will soon have company when rosa parks completes her journey from the back of the bus to the front of statutory hall later this year. [ applause [ applause ] >> now, we look around and remember the men and women who helped define our nation.

they, like us, worked hard to move this country forward. here in this hall, four presidents took the oath of office. here abraham lincoln served a single term in congress. and john quincy adams, the only former president who returned to serve in the house, spoke out against slavery. today we also remember an event that took place outside this building but reverberated within. this year marks the 50th anniversary of the reverend martin luther king, jr.'s march on washington which spoke passage of the civil rights laws. we're honored to have a colleague, john lewis, who was a speaker at that historic march. [ applause ] >> congressman lewis' life e

exemplifies the courage and makes our nation great. john, please stand up and take a bow so we can all recognize you. [ applause ] >> behind us, the painting we have chosen for this luncheon is niagara falls. painted in 1856 by ferdinand rashard. for me as a new yorker, niagara falls never fails to inspire a tremendous awe for the natural beauty of our great country. then and now, the mighty falls symbolized the grandeur, power and possibility of america. and i want to thank my former senate partner, our great secretary of state, hillary rodham clinton, for allowing us to borrow this beautiful

painting from the state department collection. [ applause ] >> but frankly, we aren't here for the paintings, we're here for the food. and while the theme of today's ceremony is faith in america's future, today's menu could be labeled faith in america's food. from the new england lobster to the heirloom vegetables, to the south dakota bison to the new england wine, each element was carefully chosen and excellently prepared. it was actually chosen by the tasting committee which consisted of debbie boehner, lander reed, nancy pelosi, and my wife. they took a great effort and the effort was truly bipartisan. so if you don't like the food, you can't blame it on one party or another. but i know that won't happen, i know you'll enjoy it.

before we begin, it is my privilege to ask the reverend luis cortez, jr., president of he espiranza, to deliver the invocation after which lunch will be served. >> please rise. let us join together in prayer. dear god, in this room stand women and men of differing beliefs. different understandings of how you reveal yourself, how you reveal your will and your desire to us. yet at this moment, our nation joins with us in prayer and supplication that despite political differences in these chambers, that despite we may take different views that are unique to american democracy that we be united in hope for

the future of our nation. we pray for continued freedom, freedom to pursue happiness, freedom to create goodness, freedom to preserve the common good. we pray for continued liberty, liberty to preserve our rights, liberty to defend our understanding of good, liberty to develop ourselves fully as you would have us. our nation prays with us as we ask that our leaders be endow the wi ed with wisdom, with courage that they may go against their own when necessary for the common good of our beloved america. with resolve that they not tire but move unrelenting toward that common good. we pray a blessing on our house of representatives, on our senate and our judicial and executive branches. bestow on every member spiritual protection and good health. we uphold president barack obama

and his family in the same manner. we are thankful for the religious freedom of this nation, for our family and friends, and for this meal which we will now share. remembering that there are still those who suffer hunger in our nation. we have all joined in this prayer in our particular god's name, and i in the name of jesus christ, my lord and savior. amen and amen. >> please be seated and enjoy lunch. >> the lunch the cameras will go down for. the rest of the lunch is not televised, to we continue to broadcast here from the national mall. the national mall is thinning out very quickly.

most of the crowds are trying to, i guess, grab some food, maybe, and try to get a spot along the parade route. but if you're watching at home or wherever you may be watching, you have the best vantage point. we have our correspondence cameras all along the parade route. we'll be following it every step of the way, of course. looking forward to tha one of the things the president talks about -- there you see some of the crowd still very excited to be here. they have not, obviously, made their way to the parade area. one of the things the president talked about was time to stop name calling and work together with congress. let's listen to part of that speech. >> for now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. we cannot mistake absolutism for principle or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reason to

debate. >> reason to debate. do you think that pays service to my partisanship and then go out and be tough and ruthless? >> the 9.9% of americans that don't pay attention to politics will say he doesn't mean it. there are people out there who would blame the president and the democrats as much as others blame the republicans. this is the fight that has paralyzed this city not just for the past four years. we went through some of this with the bush administration, with the clinton administration, we can trace it back to the madison administrations. but in recent times, things have become so petty that sometimes this town resembles a daycare center. i think the president was making a point. he'll have to follow through because he and his tenants have

done this, too. if he's asking for immigration, that will cause friction with the republican party. if he asks government to do entitlement, it's going to cause friction in his party. that's when the name-calling starts. but will he step out and try t stop it? >> what he's essentially saying is, okay, we have to try to act on gun control. maybe we won't get 100% of it, but we have to try and get done what we can get done. and he said, you know, we must act knowing that today's victories will only be partial. so there is a bit more realism, i think, in this president saying i'm going to start the fight and i may not get everything i want. >> for me, i feel like one of the things he was trying to achieve is the level of values. we talked some about the

policies, knowing they're going to be tough. but there is a tug-of-war happening in this country over the meaning of patriotism itself. who are the patriots? are the patriots people who are challenging the president and saying he's not even born here? that is a form of patriotism. he laid down some pillars here for a new kind of patriotism where when you invoke american values, you include everybody. alex talked about equality. i do think he's deep in that commitment. i also find extraordinary the embrace of dr. king almost as a second founder. if you really know dr. king's story and how vilified he was when he was alive, he was not a celebrated person. he was considered a gadfly. even the "new york times" backed away from him the last few years of his life because of his stand on the war, his stand against poverty. for him now to be embraced, i think dr. king was mentioned more than george washington over the past couple of days. that is an extraordinary

achievement, and now i think this president wants to see more people included in the same way. the latino community, et cetera. and that, i think, is the importance of this speech to his base. and his base is a rainbow coalition that is now the governing coalition in this country and it includes a lot of people who have yet to feel the embrace of dr. king. >> a lot of people watched this day for politics, others for personalities, in particular michelle obama and what she is wearing, what the kids are wearing. lena joins us on what the first lady, mrs. obama, was wearing. lena? >> i'm sitting here next to tim gunn who is a noted fashion consultant. the coat and dress that michelle obama wore through the inauguration morning was designed by american designer thom brown. he is from allentown, pennsylvania. started his label back in 2001 with just five suits and by appointment only.

i caught up with him recently in his studio in paris, actually just this morning. he had just shown his men's collection, and that is significant because he told me the fabric that was used for this outfit was based, developed on men's silk ties. he told me at moments like this, he's really at a loss for words. let's listen to what he told me. were you nervous? >> i'm nervous now. i'm nervous -- you know how sometimes you get so excited and so, you know, overwhelmed that -- i'm somewhat nervous just talking to you about it now because you can't really put it into words on how it feels, but if i even just saw her walking in just that second, and she looks amazing. she's been so supportive of all of us, particularly american designers, and she has amazing style and just always looks so good in whatever she chooses. and she just has great taste. >> you know, one quick note,

tim, that thom also told me is he chose that navy specifically because he was mindful that the president might wear navy, and he wanted to make sure that she looked good next to him. so in your estimation, how did she look? >> well, on a scale of 1 to 10, i give her a 100. she looked absolutely fantastic. really radiant. >> it really comes down to the fit, doesn't it? >> really beautiful. >> what about the dress? we got a first glimpse of the dress a few moments ago. >> yes, for the first time because i had only seen her in the coat up until that moment. i would have to say when she belted the coat and gave it more proportion. >> j. crew belt. >> yes, beautiful j. crew belt. i loved the coat more. i do love the dress. i have to wrap my brain around how different it looks without having the coat over it, but mrs. obama is nothing but a fashion icon and she has a radiance around her that is c captivati

captivating. >> the cardigan she's wearing is from another designer, and if i'm not mistaken, i believe it's the same blue cardigan she wore yesterday to the official swearing in ceremony. really a nod to american designers, emerging american designers. when you look at her style, tim, and her legacy, don't you think it will be that, that she embraced not established, but emerging, talent that really need a boost. >> and also american designers, so much of what's been happening in the white house with first ladies have to do with europe. while that certainly is the american legacy, we come from that, we have certainly come into our own since world war ii and mrs. obama is here nurturing and supporting and cultivating less known designers. she is tapping everything that is american about american design. it's a fabulous thing. >> you look at what happened to jason liu four years ago. it put him on the map, it gave him worldwide fame. he has ex ploelded as a result

of that. we, of course, will be watching the inaugural gown choice for tonight. anderson, back to you. >> alena, how long has thom brown actually been designing clothes for women? i've always known him as a men's wear designer. >> it's interesting you point that out. he started his label in 2003 with his first ready to wear collection. there you see him. he really popularized the notion of the shrunken suit for men. if you semen wearing those cropped pants and those tight-fitting suits, that's because of thom brown. he created that look. he has officially done women's wear for quite some time, moreau fis -- more officially in the past couple years. when i asked him, will this help your business, what do you think it will do in terms of affecting your business? he laughed and said, it certainly won't hurt. then he added what he hopes will happen as a result of this moment, being part of such an important moment in history, is

that people will take a look at his women's wear with a different eye. and i believe that people in america and around the world now will. >> they will. >> and they certainly will know the name thom brown. anderson? >> there's no doubt about that. of course, a lot of eyes will be watching michelle obama tonight to see what she's going to be wearing to the two inaugural balls that they will be going to. we' also coming up, of course, the parade which not only are president obama and mrs. obama going to be in the parade, there are representatives from all the 50 states. it's going to be a lot of fun. of course, we're going to broadcast all of that to you. it's the tradition now that the president gets out of the beast, the very armored vehicle and walks the parade route. we saw that four years ago on this day. hopefully we'll see that again today. all of that will be brought to you again shortly. now our exclusive interview with vice president biden, our gloria

borger sat down with him. he talked about how his vice presidency evolved. >> if there is politics, it's president obama and vice president joe biden. >> back to the debates we had, the only two people who didn't disagree on any subject were barack obama and joe biden. so when we got into this deal, we didn't have what other administrations have had where the vice president and president have a different take on the major issues of today. we were totally sympatico. and what developed and made it easier, it went from working with each other to a friendship. an actual real trust built. >> we know, though, you have disagreed with the president over policy. and you know how to read him pretty well. so how can you tell when you've done something that he doesn't like or that makes him angry? >> oh, that's easy. that's easy. we made a deal early on. when either one of us are

dissatisfied, we just flat tell the other person. so lunch once a week, that's when we talk. and when he's not liked something i've done, he flat tells me. >> he says, joe, you shouldn't have done that? >> he says, joe, i don't agree with the way you did that. why did you do a, b, c or d? he will say or i will say, hey, man, i don't like the way this is going. so there's complete openness. but, you know, we haven't disagreed -- we sometimes disagreed on tactic as to how to proceed to try to get what he wanted done which i've agreed with, but we've never disagreed on policy. >> but there was a problem with timing when the vice president got ahead of the boss in this exchange about same-sex marriage on "meet the press." >> men marrying men and women marrying women and heterosexuals are entitled the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil libertys.

>> that caused heartburn in the west wing. >> even the so-called discussion about my saying i was comfortable with gay and lesb n lesbians and relationships, i knew his position. >> but you got out in front of him on it. and that's -- that can be a problem. >> i'll tell you how he responded. i walked into the office. he got up, smiled, gave me a big hug and said, tell you what, man, one thing i like about you, you say what's on your mind. >> you said it caused a little apoplexy around here. >> it d bid, but not with him. not with him. >> he tried to be the closer, trying to get a deal on guns. >> are you the only one who can cut deals with republicans now? >> no. first of all, the only way i've been able to close any deal is because everybody knows i speak for the president. i have his complete support for what i'm saying because i know what he wants, number one. number two, i think the reason why we make a good team, you

know, tip o'neil used to say politics is local. i seldom agree with tip o'neal, god bless his soul, but politics are personal and it's based on trust. i have spent a lot of time in this town, and i have personal relationships with people i strongly disagree, but there's trust. and so i'm a logical person, a logical person to, as they say, you guys say, close the deal. but it's the president, it's not me. it's the president. >> but it's no secret that you and the president are very different people. you're hot, he's cool. you're a natural backslapper, he's been accused of being more i insular. does the marriage work because he married his opposite? >> well, look, i think what you hope, and he used this phrase one time, that we kind of make up for whatever weaknesses the other guy has, and i've got a

hell of a lot more weaknesses than he does. the one place i have just had a lot of experience with a lot of the people we deal with, and, you know, everybody talks about, well, it's backslapping, it's not. it's trust. it's simple trust. find a single person, and you know this, who will look you in the eye and say, i don't trust joe biden. it's just i've been around longer, and they know me, but they also know i speak for him, and he will keep whatever commitment i make on his behalf. >> interesting. gloria borger joins us. was there anything that surprised you about the vice president? >> what surprised me was that he was trying to be so circumspect because he knew this was going to run on inauguration day.

he was trying to be pretty careful. on the next piece we ran later in the day, i asked him about running for the presidency, and he wouldn't give that one away, either. >> so they are very different men. >> they are completely different. they complete each other. they -- joe biden loves to do the things that president obama hates to do. you put joe biden in a room in the capitol with five republicans and five democrats for three hours, and he's having fun. he loves it, because he's been in washington for four years. that's what he's done his entire life. i hesitate to say this, but i think if you did that to the president, he wouldn't be having as much fun. >> this may be president obama's last inauguration, certainly, but what about vice president biden? gloria borger asked him if he would run for the top job. that might pit him against hillary clinton. we'll have that later. and we'll go to the parade route

where people are lining up to see the president, the bands and the floats. stay tuned. we have all that to look forward to. he made the decision, apparently, just three weeks ago that he would walk on his way back to the white house. it was a feeling with carter that he was being a people's president as opposed to the interior guard that has surrounded nixon. so he's walking, aimless, there is a sense of exuberance and a sense that something exciting is happening. it was a great moment. it was very smart dramatically for him to do that. nearly 16 million people visit washington, d.c. every year.

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continued coverage of the presidential inauguration. while president obama and the vice president and their families are eating lunch inside the capitol, most folks are heading over to the parade grounds. let's check in with erin burnett who is standing over at freedom plaza. erin, how are the crowds where you are? >> people have been gathering, as we've been telling you, you have to walk a few blocks after you get in the security area to actually get where we are. there's lines, i don't know, something like 80 or a hundred people in line, but everyone was in a good mood where we were. they're going up to the main viewing area where the president will be. they're playing some music to get everyone all ready to go, and obviously we're just waiting for that. i'm here with brianne kheiler, and i know you've been reporting on the first family and what they're like, and this is their

first parade, right? >> you can see some of the causes that are so near and dear to the first lady's heart, that they are represented here. military spouses will play a role in this parade, veterans will play a role. she has championed the cause of joining forces where she works with military families, where she works to sort of provide, i guess, a highlight for companies that are providing jobs for veterans coming home. and also i noticed that there will be participation by kids from belew high school, which is a high school here in washington, d.c. in the anacostia neighborhood. this is a high school she's visited trying to reach out to at-risk kids. mentoring is also a very key part of her causes. it just is sort of represented, but i think a lot of people here are wondering, will they get to see the first lady and president in person? will they be getting out, perhaps, where they can catch a glimpse of them? >> last time, of course, they got out two times during the parade, six or eight minutes each, and walked a little bit. jimmy carter actually walked the entire route.

i don't expect them to do that, but we do expect they'll get out. as brianna were talking off camera that maybe since this is the second time around, they're more confident and calm, maybe a little less stressed out, that maybe they can get out and spend a little time outside the car. >> and there's always security concerns, of course, so for most of the parade he is inside the heavily armored car. where jimmy carter was walking, we saw little amy carter, nine years old, skipping around. i wonder if sasha and malia will participate. we don't know, but that's something the crowds would certainly appreciate. >> there are snipers here on all the buildings that we can see. i want to bring in jimmy costa. we're about halfway or two-thirds of the way along where we're sitting now on freedom plaza, again, where the president and first lady got out last time, so we are hopeful that they will this time.

jim a coskoacosta is going to bg this entire parade route right in front of the president. that's a pretty amazing place to be. jim? >> i'm standing on the back of a flatbed truck, and just to show you how this is going to work, we're going to be just in front of the president's motorcade as the president's escort, as it's called, makes its way to pennsylvania avenue. you can see some of the other colleagues in the press around us now, other flatbed trucks, and we're going to do what's called the dance. as we're going down pennsylvania avenue, each of these trucks will sort of take a turn to get into that position to get that money shot of the president and the first lady, hopefully getting out of their motorcade. i've been lirstening to you the last few minutes talking about the president and first lady getting out of the motorcade and walking down the parade route. our crew was out here a week ago going through the rehearsal for all of this, and during that rehearsal, the stand-in for the

president, the stand-in for the first lady did not get out of the motorcade on that parade route and got us all wondering, maybe this won't be happening, but the secret service said don't read anything into that. we are just standing steps away from the united states capitol. right over there is where the president is having lunch. he'll come out about an hour or so and start heading down pennsylvania avenue, getting on constitution avenue first. let me have my photojournalist look down the parade route as we speak. it gives you a gorgeous view of washington, d.c. you can see the line of motorcycles that will be leading this presidential escort as it heads down toward the white house, members of the military on both sides getting ready to salute. each one will salute as the president goes by, so it will be quite a sight. we'll be watching it all as we head your way, erin. >> all right, it's going to be pretty amazing. for all of our viewers, the parade has become an essential part of inauguration day, a big part of the pomp and circumstance and party.

it first began in 1789 with george washington as local militia sort of gathered in the town as he was moving to new york. that's how it started and it became more and more a formal part of the day as the years have gone by. there will be about 8800 people marching in the parade from all 50 states and there will be about 200 animals. there will be elephants, as i believe there were, when dwight eisenhower was going through this. anderson, back to you. >> we're looking at some of the social media people are sending on in sstagram. brooke? >> we're talking about this historic moment and getting excited about the parade, you have helped us share history with the rest of the world thanks to instagram, so i want to share some of these photos from people here, people at home, sharing this inauguration and history with everyone. take a look at this picture.

you'll see this young man here on the national mall. his name is chris noe, he told us via instagram that he just wants to be here because this is a once in a lifetime. this next one i love. this is a little girl, her name is maya, and she is in uniform. her mom is in the air force, and her mother's name is elaine dabula, and she said this is a way for her to share the moment with the next generation. and one more, because i know you saw the shots of everyone waving the american flag. really, the patriotism on the mall during the speeches was palpable. so you see this picture, and this is adam waving his flag, so as i let you go, i want everyone out here to wave their flags. the crowds are still here for cnn. continue to send us your instagram photos. go there and make sure you send the hash tag cnn because we're throwing them up for the world

to see. anderson? >> i want to check in with dana bash who is stand big with a very special guest. dana? >> we have one of the president's oldest friends and advisers. >> it's a pleasure. >> you are obviously very close to him. clearly you were involved in and knew about the process that he went through to write the speech. take us inside the white house and take us inside the barack obama speech-writing process. >> well, it really began in the course of the campaign, and the message that i think everyone heard during the campaign is one that he really embedded in his speech today. he talked about it a lot, he talked about what he wanted to accomplish in the second term, what he thought was doable, where he wanted to push the envelope, and it was a very personal speech to him. you could feel the passion. he delivered it, i think, extremely well, because every single word was one that he just embraced completely. and i think part of what he said was that you can't -- progress isn't compelled by solving those

century-long debates about the role of government, progress is compelled by action right now, and he feels that sense of urgency that he felt four years ago. he's so proud of his record, but he's so humbled by the fact that the american people him for a s. and because this is his last term, this is the end of his political career, he wants to make sure that every single day counts, and that we think about equality and opportunity. >> and then in terms of just kind of the prose, obviously he is a writer. he turns around phrases like a musician, writing music in his head. are you a part of the process? >> i think that's a very good way of doing it. as i've listened to him talk about his speech and the ideas that he is crafting, he is very gifted with word. he tries to use them in a way where they connect, and everybody can relate to what he is saying. he puts it in terms where you nod your head and go yeah, he is actually talking just to me. and you forget he is talking to

everybody. and that is a gift that he has. but it takes hard work. so he does labor over his speeches, and he wants to get it right. but this one he actually finished early. i have known him to finish his speech as he is walking in to deliver it. >> when did he finish it? >> he finished it a couple of days ago. i don't think he did much to it yesterday. i read it yesterday morning. he has been thinking what he wanted to say for a long time. i think the campaign helped him and got him outside of washington and got him back with the american people. it reminded us all of why we're here. >> and there has been a lot of talk about the fact that he saw the movie "lincoln." >> yes. >> and it really touched him and inspired the way he wrote this speech. >> i think it was a deeply moving movie for him. i think you can't compare the civil war to what we're going through. but we've been through a really tough time in our country. and seeing how lincoln had to work so hard just to make the progress that he did, how he never gave up, and how resilient he was, and he tried a whole range of different strategies.

and i think obviously that resonated with the president. and so it kind of reaffirmed what he already knew, which is you have to be resilient. you have to be determined. and you can't lose your focus, you can't get distracted by short-term political interests. >> thank you so much. let us know about the bison. we hear it's pretty good. >> i will. >> back to you, anderson. >> all right, dana. thanks very much. we're waiting to hear the president's toast at his lunch with members of congress. will he reach out to republicans? well, we'll see. also tonight, also this afternoon we are waiting the parade. the excitement is gearing up for the inaugural parade. stay right here to see it all, including obama's expected walk along the parade route. you can join the conversation on cnn.com/conversation. now here is another inaugural flashback. >> i think what is interesting about theodore roosevelt's

inaugural parade is that it symbolized the many-sided character that t.r. was. so there you have harvard alums marching side by side with indians, marching side by side with cowboys, with rough riders so that -- and chief geronimo was there. there is a sense in which t.r. had so many interests. there were different sides of him, and the parade symbolized that. it just seemed like this incredibly eclectic parade. some to be heard. we come to make an impact. to learn from leaders... and to lead others. >> nearly 16 million come to visit washington, d.c. every year. some come the opinions. some come to be heard. we come to make an impact and to learn from others, to create and create change. we are the george washington university. we come the make history. it's dress-like-a-president day,

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another inauguration tradition is about to happen at the united states capitol.

a luncheon for the president and the vice president and a toast by members of congress. welcome back to our inauguration coverage. i'm wolf blitzer. now the pat has taken his oath and given his speech, many people are heading toward the parade route. i'm at the reviewing stand in front of the white house where the obamas and the bidens will watch the parade. we have much more of our exclusive interview coming up with the vice president, joe biden. gloria borger asked him about his plans for 2016. let's check in with dana bash right now, though. she is up on capitol hill, watching the latest developments. dana, what is going on rignow? >> right behind is statuary hall. it is closed to the press. it is officially a private lunch that president obama is having with about 219 or so other guests. very small, very exclusive. and we expect to hear him give a toast, which will be open for cameras for us to see momentarily. >> dana, thank you. let's go over to the parade route.

erin burnett is on the scene for us. erin? >> all right. well, if everyone here is getting ready, they have been playing warm-up tunes. no matter what kind of music you like, they've been playing it to get the crowds ready. we'll see whether the president gets out of his motorcade here. jimmy carter was the first to do it. i was actually there that day, anderson, in swaddling clothes on jimmy carter's inauguration. we'll see whether the president gets out and whether the first daughters do as well. back to you. >> well, the president's public swearing in took place about two hours ago. you're watching it here of course on cnn. listen to some of it. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, barack hussein obama do solemnly swear. >> i barack hussein obama do solemnly swear. >> that i will faithfully execute. >> that i will faithfully execute. >> the office of the president of the united states. >> the office of president of the united states. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> and will to the best of my

ability. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> the constitution of the united states. >> the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god? >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> and just in case you missed the speech, i want to take a look at some of the highlights now from the president's inaugural address today. >> my fellow americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it so long as we seize it together. [ applause ] for we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. we believe that america's prosperity must rest upon the

broad shoulders of a rising middle class. we, the people still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. we must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. [ applause ] for we remember the lessons of our past when twilight years were spent in poverty and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. we do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky or happiness for the few.

we, the people, still believe that our obligations as americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. we will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. [ applause ] some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms. the path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult, but america cannot resist this transition. we must lead it. we, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths, that all of us are created equal is the star that guides us

still, just as it guided our forebetterers through seneca falls, just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung who left footprints along this great mall to hear our preachers say we cannot along. to hear a king proclaim that our individual freedom is inexplicably bound to every soul on earth. >> i stopped, but it continued. welcome back to our -- welcome back to our continuing coverage. president obama's inauguration. i'm wondering how you think that speech is heard by republicans as opposed to by progressives. i'm looking at twitter. and a lot of progressives are saying this is the president who we've wanted to have. i'm hearing from a lot of republicans saying that was a speech about big government. >> where was the outreach, they're saying. where was the outreach, where was the concession, where was the humility. but one thing that is different, the tone from the first inaugural address. some of the initiatives were

similar, carryovers. but he is much more optimistic. we will turn the corner. he feels that we have cushioned the corner and economically the country is turning the corner. we're not quite there yet. i'm going to walk over. he lays out the agenda not in the detail today, but a lot of things. one of the things he tries to capture the imagination of people outside of washington because he knows it will be tough inside washington. one of the reasons this is going to be hard for the president is if you just do this. unemployment got up to 10% in his term. but unemployment today, this is when he started, 7.8%, 7.8%. but the president remembers these days. and he thinks he has turned a corner. and he is very hopeful things are going to get better. one of the things the president talked about is you have to deal with the clear challenges. he made a clear statement. he is not going to sacrifice medicare just to cut a deal with republicans. the question is what will he do? because let's look at this here. let's play this out. this is the baby boom generation ages and retires. here is where we are now.

beneficiaries enrolled in medicare. look where it's going. look where it's going over the next 10, 20, 30 years. some president eventually has to deal with this because this is eating up the federal budget, eating up the resources the president wants to spend on education, wants to spend on roads bridges, wants to spend on research and science and technology. so how he handles this he was not clear today except to make a commitment to not hurt medicare. but how does he change this spending trajectory without hurting the program. one of the things the president talked proudly about and one of the things he thinks gives him political and financial leeway is. this troop levels in iraq and afghanistan, 180,000 when he took office. just watch the trajectory, especially as the united states gets out of iraq and now is preparing to get out of afghanistan. about 70,000 now. the president hopes by 2014 that number is down completely. and as he talked about in the address, a decade of war will be over. but the heavy lifts, one of the things he talked about was trying to deal with gun control.

he states that a highlighted, these are the states that have the highest gun deaths per capita. but here is the interesting part. how does the president sell republicans and some conservative democrats in congress who oppose him, even though he has by and large the support of the american people? this is a cnn/time poll. an assault weapons ban, semiautomatic assault weapons ban. nearly six in ten americans are with the president. still, a very tough sell in congress that high capacity ammunition clip ban, again, nearly 60% of americans. still opposition among a lot of conservative republicans and significantly conservative red state democrats on the ballot in 2014. requiring gun registration, that's one where the president might have a little more political strength. putting armed guards in every school, that one drops a little bit. this is something the president has said should be left to the schools, the nra says should be part of a national plan. it will be interesting given the poll numbers. the entrenched interests in washington not on the president's side. we'll see what he does there. one other thing i want to note. the president talked about how immigrants in this country

should be allowed to go to school and then become the leaders of the next generation, not be deported. well, remember, it was his administration, this is the bush administration here, deportations of illegal immigrants, it was the obama administration that angered many latinos, and especially latino interest groups by increasing the number of deportations. the president is hoping now that this actually gives him some credibility as he tries to negotiate an immigration reform package with republicans. and anderson, one of the things we have seen since the election is the republicans know the math. they see the demographics of this country. they realize they have a crisis. they cannot be a viable national party if they keep getting such a tiny percentage of the latino vote. so on the immigration issue, loggerheads with the conservative base. probably some common ground. on the other things, i think one of the reason the president tried to be optimistic and reach outside of washington, he knows on the details on almost everything else, tough sell. >> tough sell indeed. we have new folks to stand by. jack schlossberg, grandson of

john f. kennedy jr. joins us as well as paula begala, who is much older, cnn contributor and republican consultant. jack, you had written a while ago on cnn.com about the enthusiasm young voters had for president obama. >> yeah. >> i'm wondering as you listen to his speech today what went through your mind? >> one thing that struck me, a lot of the people around me were 20, my age. and it was great to see everyone applauding when he talked about climate change, when he talked about equal pay, gaye rights. those are the three biggest applause lines he got, at least from where i was standing. an it really shows my generation voted. we were 19% this time and 18% last time. and i think coming out today, applauding for those lines really shows that we're exit committed to not only this president, we understand the problems we want to address, the challenges we need to face. >> paul, you had written a daily beast article and we talked about it last night about what you thought the president should do. you said he should give lip

service to reaching out. but then go and be ruthless starting tomorrow. what did you hear? were you happy with what you heard? >> i was thrilled, i was. this president often slips into sort of airy-fairy kumbahyah, oh, we should all just get along. well, of course we should. that doesn't get you very far. he did just that yes, he touched on it. he said the right things. but this was a confident, combative community. it was philosophical. he said -- reagan said the american myth is the frontier. heading out alone on our own, the rugged individualist. president obama answered that today with the wagon train, the community, that we're all in this together. he rooted it in our founders, just like reagan did with his myth. but he spoke for progressives powerfully. and that is a man itching for a fight. and i'm sure the republicans will accommodate him. but i have to say, i think this is what a second inaugural ought to be. he set the bar very high for

himself. and now he has challenged himself and his party and our country to meet them. >> did you hear what a lot of the president said. >> the president does the yin yang. on the one hand, we're a country of individualists, on the other hand we're a country that depends on community spirit. forget the overarching vision, yada, yada, yada. when you hear that tomorrow, don't listen to it. remember, he said that last night. and just going for the political stuff. frankly, that's what he did. this i think was an intensely political speech where he codified really important parts of the coalition, the democratic party coalition, and then grounded it in the american political tradition, and in the context of the declaration of independence. in other words, he put the democratic party, justified the democratic party coalition in the context of the american history and the declaration of independence. >> but this is a second term president. and he to in watching him, it was we need to act now.

i've only got four more years, by the way. and i want to get all of this done. don't give me everything. i understand it. but you need to know where i am. i mean, my question is his democrats in congress are going to be perhaps not as quick to do a lot of the things he wants because they've got to run for reelection. he's the only guy who doesn't, right? >> the other question that was where is he going to make the mark? it's not clear here. is it immigration reform? >> there are opportunities, well, there are lots of opportunities. >> but that is the outstanding question at this point. initially it looked like he was going to push this year for a major tax and debt overhaul, and that would be his legacy of the second term. now that doesn't look like that's going to be real. so now is it immigration reform? but does he have a republican party in partnership that will allow for a sweeping enough immigration package to make that real? that's an unknown. >> we didn't hear fiscal cliff discussion, the economy is going to get zooming, we're going to -- foreign policy.

>> it could end up being in foreign policy, drawing down troops, transitioning to this new kind of fighting force with the drone warfare, sort of in keeping with what we're alluding to eisenhower had. >> i think we're going to watch too very different but equally fascinating dramas play out. inside washington, the republicans still have the votes to stop the president on many things. they still control the house. they still have operational gridlock in the senate, if you will, even though democrats picked up. inside washington, the president has a challenge. but if you look at this, groundbreaking on gaye rights, back to climate change, gun control, immigration. and who that appeals to, as jack just said. they have made a doubling down of what they did in the campaign. they believe they have the coalition of the future -- young people, latinos, african-americans, and they believe the republican coalition is aging, in decline, and fractured. so they think politically they have the juice. and he has decided to play his cards. >> we have to take a quick break. we're waiting for the start of the inaugural parade, of course. we'll bring you that live. and one of the expected

highlights, the president and mrs. obama walking part of that parade route. join the conversation on our live blog at cnn.com/conversation. now here is another inaugural flashback. ♪ >> at his inaugural ball, clinton grabbed the saxophone and played solo. that's a moment that will be remembered. lbj, paraphrasing churchill said never have so many people paid so much to dance so little. grant's ball, it was so cold that the heat wasn't working right. they had to dance in their overcoats. and yet there is something about the pomp and circumstance that people love to look at the costumes. and even though some of the presidents thought it was better to not spend so much money on them, there is also a fascination as a spectacle to watch these things.

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you're looking at live pictures of the u.s. capitol on this sunny but relatively cold day here in the nation's capital. inside the capitol, the president still wrapping up his luncheon with top members of the house and the senate. the speaker of the house will be presenting the president with some flags. the vice president as well. the republican senator lamar alexander in a official photograph will be presented to the vice president. then there will be toasts.

senator schumer, who is the chairman of the inauguration committee, he'll be offering a toast. the president of the united states will be responding. you will see it. you will hear it, all live here on cnn. we're going inside the capitol for these historic moments. stand by for that. following the luncheon and the toast, the president and first family, the vice president, his wife and family, they'll get into the motorcade and the parade, and they'll go down pennsylvania avenue. erin burnett is over at freedom plaza, where historically very often presidents get out of their limousine and start walking a bit. erin, set the stage for us. this is going to be an historic afternoon. >> it is, and obviously we hope that we will be so lucky, as do all the crowds that are here along pennsylvania avenue and freedom blas. i'm here with brianna keilar. something else just happened. not that it was a viciously cold day. but it was kind of biting out here. and now you're bathed in

beautiful sun light. >> the sun just broke through. we have temperatures here in the mid-40s. and you know, that's not so bad. it's still a little chilly, and certainly all these folks out here have been trying to stay bundled up as they've been waiting for hours, anxiously hoping to catch a glimpse of president obama. but i think we'll take it. remember it was ronald reagan in 1985 where festivities were actually canceled because the high was 17 degrees, and lower than that throughout the day. so this is pretty good. >> i got to say, it's kind of perfect. robin meade, don lemon and christi paul are along with us along the parade route. robin, i know you were out in the cold of the morning. a lot of people we saw, it's been a good day for hand warmers and body warmers. everybody going through security had them in their gloves and in their shoes and in their coats. >> they are the item of the day. i'll tell you that much. to give you an example of what people here went through, to get through security to go to the parade, to me it felt a little different than getting through security to get to the national

mall. it feels more stringent here on the parade route, because if you look, see how close people are able to be to the parade route, compared to the blocks and the blocks on the mall. so when we went through security, they asked us -- it was very hands-on. they took away our diet soda cans. no cans allowed. they asked us to open our jackets. made us take our hats off. and we're going through purses and bags. no umbrellas were allowed. good thing the sun is shining, right? so we're right here in front of the u.s. navy memorial. and the big question is will the president get out and walk here as well. i can see some snipers on the roof here. and right over on this side, we have different law enforcement officers actually from around the nation, which is really neat to know. so these folks are from florida. so when i was what street am i at right now? we don't know, we're from florida. but they said right beside them are folks from phoenix. so people have converged from all over the nation to help out with the security. that does feel stringent right here, even though it feels like a party atmosphere.

now where i'm at, people have to have tickets to be seated there. but across the street it's kind of a first come first serve. how about where you are guys are, erin? >> you know what? i only missed your last couple of words because we keep having helicopters go over us, robin, which hopefully is a sign that the parade is about to begin, in at least a few minutes, or at least we hope. i want to get to don lemon. and don, let me just say, robin dressed appropriately, and she has the right kind of hat to stay warm. i want to know if you're wearing your very dapper hat that you had on last night. >> i was asked to take it off so you could see me better because i'm way over here in the crowd. can you see me? >> i see a hat. >> it's way on top of the museum. and i was wearing my russian hat with the side things for the ears to keep warm. but as you guys said, the sun came out. and it warmed up. so i took my gloves off, took my hat off. can you guys hold that for me until i come back? the member of the u.s. air force, a member of the air guard. we're pretty protected.

these are all members, state troopers from different states. >> yes. i believe over 240 different agencies, maybe about 3,000 as far as volunteer law enforcement. i'm down here with a contingent of pennsylvania air national guard. >> cool. >> and there is approximately 300 of us from the air national guard. and maybe a thousand or more army national guard. >> well, martin, thank you very much. we appreciate you. we got new jersey here, we got ohio, a bunch of people. i'm going to walk -- i'm going to walk. we're starting at pennsylvania and constitution avenue. so i'm going to walk here. there is the national art museum across from here, the federal trade commission is in front of me. and of course the capitol is back there. this entire route is 1.5 miles, as you guys know. and everyone hopes the president and the first lady will get out and walk where they are. they usually get out at freedom plaza. hi, how are you? how are you? but we're hoping they're going to get out here. so 1.5 miles. these people have been out here for a long time. we'll be here.

if they get out here, i'll be here. we're going to go back to wolf blitzer. right now, wolf, take it away. >> thank you very much, don. take a look at you're looking at live pictures of the president, hugging senator patrick leahy, the chairman of the senate judiciary committee there. wrapped up this luncheon apparently. there is going to be some toasts there is an official presentation of the photograph as well. the president has been going from table to table. he has been saying hello to varieties folks. looks like he is speaking -- is that the justice? ruth bader ginsburg on the left part. jeffrey toobin and kate bolduan. he has been criticized a little bit for not supposedly schmoozing enough with members of congress. there is kathleen sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, members of his cabinet are inside the room as well as the republican and democratic leadership and others. you can see the head table, the

vice president joe biden sitting there with dr. jill biden. >> this is actually a very interesting lunch pairing right there. >> what is nice, jeffrey, you have all three branches of government at this luncheon on capitol hill right now. >> it's wonderful. and it was actually a very sad occasion four years ago because both senator edward kennedy and senator -- hold on, hold on. the chairman of the inauguration committee, chuck schumer of new york is going to be speaking now. let's listen in, because he is going to be offering a toast. >> i hope everyone has enjoyed the lunch. i think we really deserve a round of applause to our chef and our caterer, all the people who served the meal so expertly. they have done a great job. so it is now my honor to invite the speaker of the house, the john boehner to the podium to present the official flags. [ applause ]

>> senator, thank you. ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the old hall of the house. the people's representatives met in this chamber over five decades prior to the civil war. and it's a wonder they actually made it here that long. you see the acoustics were terrible. you just couldn't hear anything. or in some spots, you could hear everything that was being said in the room. to make it -- it was a mess. and of course, it was also at a time when our leaders weren't hearing each other all that well to begin with. but here it's a century and a half and many architectural improvements later, and we gather in the old hall to better hear one another and to renew the appeal to better angels. we do so amid the rituals and

symbols of unity, none more important than our flag. now this year old glory will mark a milestone of her own. it was the spring of 1813 that the new commander at fort mchenry ordered a flag to be flown over the harbor. it should be so large that the british should have no difficulty in seeing it at a distance. for such an enormous job, a mother and daughter team had to stitch together overlapping strips of wool to make the product whole. from many one. so a grand flag was born, and not long after, that an anthem to go with it. today, whenever we put out the flag, whenever we hear it snapping in the wind, it gives it proof of the blessing that we call democracy. the symphony of service and faithfulness in which we will all play a part.

so in the spirit of harmony, i'm proud to present the flags that flew over this battalion of democracy today to president barack obama and vice president joe biden. and to you, gentlemen, i say congratulations and god speed. [ applause ] >> i am now pleased to introduce my friend and colleague and partner in this inaugural endeavor, senator lamar alexander to the podium to present the official photographs.

>> thanks, chuck, mr. president, and michelle, mr. vice president and jill, president clinton, chief justice. one former president who is not here today, we were sitting next to him, george h.w. bush and barbara a few years ago. before he got up to speak, he leaned over to barbara and said barbara, what should i speak about. she said in a very loud whisper, about five minutes, george. i'll take about one minute. there will probably come a time, mr. president and mrs. obama and to the bidens when your children are trying to explain to their grandchildren that this day actually happened. and if those great grandchildren don't believe it, we have pictures. and these pictures are for you. and we wish you the best as you work for that common good that

mr. cortez spoke about in the invocation, and as you so eloquently talked about in your description of the american character today. >> thank you. [ applause ] >> okay. i would now like to introduce the distinguished majority leader of the house of representatives eric cantor to present the lennox inaugural gifts. >> good afternoon. on behalf of the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies, it's my honor to present the president and mrs. obama, vice president and dr. biden with these

beautiful crystal vases. the vases are the finest quality crystal from lenox china and crystal. the capitol and the white house are hand cut and etched into the crystal. the crystal bases on which the vases sit are inscribed with the name of the recipient and today's date. president obama, mrs. bohm will receive the vase depicting the white house. vice president, dr. biden will receive the vase depicting the united states capitol. the vases were designed by timothy carter and hand cut by master glass cutter peter o'rourke. at this time my wife diana and i invite the president and mrs. obama and vice president and dr. biden to join us in looking at the beautiful vases. [ applause ]

>> okay. i am now pleased to invite my colleague, house democratic leader nancy pelosi to the podium to present the mementos that you all will receive as you leave statuary hall. >> thank you very much. thank you very much, mr. chairman schumer and co-chair, vice chair alexander for a wonderful, wonderful inauguration. mr. president, mr. president, mr. president, first lady, first lady, first lady, dr. biden, to all of our distinguished guests, so far you he heard of gifts to the president and the vice

president. i'll tell you about a gift for you. freedom now stands on the dome of the capitol of the united states. may she stand there forever not only in form, but in spirit. those were the words that were expressed 150 years ago by the commissioner of public buildings as the statue of freedom was placed atop the capitol during the presidency of president lincoln. that expression of the spirit of freedom is what we want you to take with you today and is contained in portfolio that says you will receive from the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies, along with a framed depiction of the capitol as it appeared at the start of the civil war. you heard it well described by chairman schumer during his remarks. today the statue of freedom and that spirit of freedom watches

over the capitol as another president from illinois takes -- has taken the oath of office. despite the challenges of our time at home and abroad, we heard in president obama's inaugural address a message of hope, a vision of peace, progress, and prosperity, and the promise of freedom for all. may god bless you, president obama, vice president biden, and your families. congratulations with wishes for much success for you, for that is the success of our nation. may god bless you all. may god bless america. enjoy your remainder of your day. [ applause ]

>> mr. president and dr. biden and your whole wonderful family, i now rise to toast the vice president of the united states and my former colleague and my friend joe biden. mr. vice president, you have been an extraordinary leader of this nation and a true partner to our president these past four years. you play many roles -- adviser, advocate, implementer, persuader, strategist, and most important of all, friend. we're confident this unique partnership between you and our great president will only grow stronger and more productive over the next four years. mr. vice president, on the surface we don't share a common ancestry. but on a deeper level we do share a common story, an american story of achieving our

dreams thanks to the sacrifice of our immigrant forebearers. as you embark on your well-deserved second term in the spirit of those who came before us, and on behalf of all americans, we offer you all our support and warmest wishes, and we say to you slancha, la heim, salute, and cheers, to our great vice president. >> mr. president, and all the presidents assembled, i -- i

always enjoyed this lunch more than anything we did in the capitol. for the 36 years i served in the senate, i had the great honor of being included in this lunch of former presidents and vice presidents, because it really is -- it really is the place where we get together in a way unlike any other time when we gather. it's always a new beginning every time we're in this room. and there is a sense of possibilities and a sense of opportunity and a sense sometimes that is fleeting, but a sense that we can really begin to work together. and chuck, we may come from different ancestries, but as all our colleagues know over the years, we're cut from the same cloth, that we share that same common absolute conviction that was expressed by harry truman when he said "america was not

built on fear. america was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." that's what you've done throughout your career. and that's what almost everyone in this room has done. at the end of the day, it's an absolute confidence, absolute confidence there is not a thing, a single thing this country can't do. i spent too much time with all of you not to know you feel it with every fiber in your being that there is nothing, nothing this country is incapable of. i must say the president kids me occasionally. i know harry reid always calls me a senate man. i am proud to have been a senate man. i am proud to be president of the senate. but that pride is exceeded only by the fact i'm proud to be vice

president of the united states, serving as barack obama's vice president. it's great privileges, great privileges of my life. as a matter of fact, if the president will forgive me, as we were walking out and he was, as we said, savoring the moment, looking out at the crowd and all those americans assembled, i found myself, surprised me even, turned to him and said thank you, thanks. thanks for the chance. thanks for the chance to continue to serve. and so, folks, i raise my glass to a man who never, never, never operates out of fear, only operates out of confidence, and i'm toasting you, chuck. and a guy, a guy who i plan on working with.

you can't get rid of me, man. remember, i'm still part of the senate. god bless you, chuck. you've done a great job. lamar, you as well. to chuck schumer. good to see you, pal. >> the best parts of thee events are unscripted. i'd now like to introduce our senate majority leader, my good friend and really foxhole buddy, a great man, harry reid to offer the official toast to the president. [ applause ] >> americans today are wishing the president god speed for the next four years. people all over the world are

looking at us and our exemplary democracy and wishing the president the best in the years to come. i've had the good fortune for the last many years to work on very close, personal basis with president obama. i watched him, the most difficult challenges that a person could face. i've watched him do this with brilliance, with patience, with courage, wisdom, and kindness. for which i have learned a great deal. so mr. president, i toast and pray for you, your wonderful

family, and our great country. four more successful years, barack obama. >> hear hear. >> michelle and the speaker of the house came to a meeting of the minds that i may be delaying the proceedings too much. and so i'm just going to be extraordinarily brief and say thank you. to my vice president, who has not only been an extraordinary

partner but an extraordinary friend, and to dr. jill biden, who has partnered with my wife with an extraordinary generosity on behalf of our men and women in uniform. to the entire cabinet that is here, i'm grateful to you. some of you are staying and some of you are leaving, but i know the extraordinary sacrifices you have made to try to advance the progress in this country, and i'm always going to be grateful to you for that. to the speaker of the house and nancy pelosi, to democratic leader harry reid as well as republican leader mitch mcconnell, and to all the congressional leaders and all the members of congress who are here, i recognize that democracy

is not always easy, and i recognize there are profound differences in this room. but i just want to say thank you for your service, and i want to thank your families for their service, because regardless of our political persuasions and perspectives, i know that all of us serve because we believe that we can make america for future generations. and i'm confident that we can act at this moment in a way that makes a difference for our children and our children's children. i know that former president carter, president clinton, they understand the irony of the presidential office, which is the longer you're there, the more humble you become. and the more mindful you are that it is beyond your poor powers individually to move this great country. you can only do it because you

have extraordinary partners and a spirit of good will, and most of all, because of the strength and resilience and fundamental goodness of the american people. and so i would like to join all of you not only in toasting the extraordinary work that chuck schumer and lamar alexander and others have done to create this special day for us, but i also want to thank each and every one of you for not only your service in the past, but hopefully your service in the future as well. and i would like to offer one last toast, and that is to my extraordinary wife michelle. there is controversy about the quality of the president. no controversy about the quality of our current first lady. [ applause ] cheers. thank you, everybody. god bless you. and god bless america.

>> okay. now that everyone is standing, you can remain standing because it's my privilege to introduce the -- his eminence, archbishop dimitrios to deliver the benediction. >> thank you for the extraordinary and unique honor bestowed upon me to my humble person to offer the benediction. it is the greatest honor in my life. let us pray as we prepare to go forth in peace, confident in america's bright future. in the name of the father, the

son and the holy spirit, all god of all, we give thanks to you and praise you on this day as did our first president on the day of his inauguration, for we too resolved once more to the benign parent of the human race in humble supplication, in the words of president washington. we bless and praise your holy name for your gracious favor and divine blessing upon these united states of america, our president barack obama, and vice president joseph biden as they commence the second term of their sacred responsibilities in the highest office of our country. bless, preserve, and keep them

and their families safe and healthy together with all who serve our nation, especially the congress, the judiciary, and the armed forces here and everywhere who heroically and sacrificially defend our pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. heavenly father, may we ever abide in this land of opportunity and freedom in perfect tranquility, faithful to our foundations and ever building a more prosperous, just, equitable society for all our citizens. and may we always share our faith and hope for the future

with the whole world through your divine and gracious love, amen. >> amen. >> the benediction by the archbishop demetrius of america. this wraps up the luncheon, chuck schumer the chairman of this inauguration committee, lamar alexander, the co-chairman, they've done what they're supposed to do, historically, traditionally. a beautiful, moving event representing all thee branches of the united states government, the executive, the legislative, and the judicial branches of the government. the president and the first lady and the vice president and the second lady, they'll be going from statuary hall. they'll be going to take a look at reverend martin luther king jr. statue in the capitol, then they'll be reviewing some military troops. they'll also begin what is historic tradition, going back to president george washington, a parade on this inauguration

day, a parade from capitol hill, all the way to where i am right now in front of the north lawn of the white house, the reviewing stand. the parade, it's about to begin. we'll have live coverage, every float, every band. you'll want to see it. don't go away. morning starts in high spirits, but there's a growing pain in his lower back. as lines grow longer, his pain continues to linger. but after a long day of helping others, he gets some helpful advice. just two aleve have the strength to keep back pain away all day. today, jason chose aleve. just two pills for all day pain relief. try aleve d for strong, all day long sinus and headache relief.

the president is going to be taking a look at the statue together with the first lady of the dr. martin luther king jr. on martin luther king jr. day here in the united states. you're looking at the capitol, this is the rotunda of the u.s. capitol. dana bash is inside as well. dana, tell us where the statue is and what we're going to see. >> that's right. well, the president is going to walk out of the door to -- from statuary hall, which is where we just saw him. and he is going to walk just to his right. over my right shoulder, that is the statue of dr. martin luther king. we understand he is going to take a moment there to honor him, to reflect, and to think

about him and this day, which is, you know, honoring him, martin luther king, as well as the president, of course, since his inauguration. he is going to do that before he takes after. one other interesting tidbit i wanted to give you when talking about the lunch. that is this is a big ceremony. but it's also an important day in history that there are people here who spent a lot of time trying to preserve it. and four years ago, that included saving the actual plate that the predent -- the whose place setting actually that the president ate from. unclear if they're going to do it the second time. but that is the kind of detail that they do right after everybody clears out of there. they take everything, they save it, because they understand the curator told me, 200 years from now they want to make sure that these things are preserved for history and for the future. >> i hope they have a really, really excellent warehouse over there where they can store all these archives, all these historic traditions. i want to see the president and the first lady, the vice president, the second lady when they go and pay tribute to dr.

martin luther king jr. that is the rotunda where that statue, especially on this special day. kate bolduan is here, jeffrey toobin. it's totally appropriate, it's been so significant for so many people across the country, that on this inauguration of the first african-american president of the united states, reelected for a second term, it happens to coincide with martin luther king day in the united states. >> the reverend jesse jackson was reflecting on the significance of it and really the symbolism that was not lost on the president either, who spoke about it during his inaugural speech today. it was a very touching moment. i thought that was one moment we haven't talked much about when he referenced martin luther king and his hard work in his speech. but yeah, i think it really kind of wraps up, as you and david gergen and i were talking about earlier during the ceremony on the west front of the capitol,

it's the past, it's the present, it's the future all coming together in this kind of grand moment in our democracy, and the fact that it also has this rich symbolism that dr. martin luther king was honored on this day as well, is a very wonderful thing. >> here comes the president and the first lady. let's just watch as he goes and pays tribute to dr. king. >> second term. >> i have the great privilege. >> it's amazing. >> thank you so much.

>> all right. so the president with the speaker and nancy pelosi. they're now walking through statuary hall. dana bash is there. dana, you're there on the scene of the rotunda. what happens now? he does a little military review? >> that's right. he is actually right in front of me, wolf. so i can tell you as i watch him, i can tell you what he is doing. he is just chitchatting with not only the democrats, but the republicans, eric cantor, john boehner. this is an image that you really don't see very often, almost never. obviously, this is an incredibly special day, and this is i like to say a nonpartisan day. but that image is somebody who runs around these hallways all day and hears a lot of bickering. it's nice to see, and nice to see that image. so now the president is going to have a ceremony as he leaves, and then it's parade route time. so we're going to see some fun and games after the ceremony.

and the solemn moment that we just saw. it was a little bit hard to hear -- actually, it was very hard to hear, but it was clear, and i'm going to ask eric cantor, i'm going to talk to him in a little bit what they were saying. but they were having an interesting conversation about martin luther king. they meaning the president, the vice president and others who were standing there. so we were almost a fly on the wall, and hopefully we'll get more information what they were talking about. >> we look forward to that, dana. this is a great, great shot of the rotunda where the president was, and now he is going to be doing what they say is a review of the troops, thanking the men and women of the united states military before he gets in that motorcade and begins that drive down pennsylvania avenue towards the white house. at some point, jeffrey toobin, he's going to get out of that motorcade and he is going to walk. we assume he is going to walk, the first lady is going to walk a little bit. that's really the exhilarating moment. people have been waiting for hours and hours and hours on both sides, on both sides of the pennsylvania avenue.

they've been waiting for -- you know what? let's take a little break, because i want to show our viewers exactly every step of the way. we'll take a quick break. you'll see it during the commercial as well, but stand by. hold on, prilosec isn't for fast relief. cue up alka-seltzer. it stops heartburn fast. ♪ oh what a relief it is!

pennsylvania avenue in the nation's capital. pennsylvania avenue going from capitol hill to the white house. this is where the presidential

motorcade will be. the president and the first lady will be leaving momentarily. right now he is about to do a little review of the troops on capitol hill, then he'll get in the motorcade and begin the parade down pennsylvania avenue. you'll see the president walking down these steps. that's where the military review will take place. he will salute the men and women of the united states military. totally, totally appropriate. i want to preview the parade, because i'm excited myself thinking about the marching bands, thinking about the floats. erin burnett is right in the middle of it. erin, tell us what we're about to see. >> yeah, you know what, wolf, this have been people waiting here. i was just talking to our photo journalist who said when he showed up this morning at 4:30 in the morning, there were already people who said they had been here since 2:30 in the morning, waiting at the security perimeter to get in. the reason is they're going to be very, very close to the president. they're all hoping that they get out and walk right around here on pennsylvania avenue at freedom plaza where we are. but we will see.

people are getting excited, because obviously it's going to be happening pretty darn soon. back to you. >> very soon, indeed. i myself, i was up on capitol hill. kate bolduan and i were up there. we drove down. we had a special escorted bus. we were allowed to go down. we saw the parade route the way the president would. >> we did. >> you were waving to folks. >> i was waving. they did not know why i was waving. i did not expect we would go along the route. people know you. they still think who is that girl. >> robin, where are you? >> i'm at pennsylvania avenue and seventh, yes, and i'm here with ann gerald and alicia. and they're from birmingham. they think the president should get out and walk here. how could he miss those hats? how did you come up with the hats? >> we went to visit the kennedy center, and we liked -- they had alice in wonderland. we liked the hats because they were celebration hats, the top hats and abraham lincoln. we decided to put our famous buttons on there for president

obama. >> so just like his speech, you guys also drew a line between abraham lincoln and your hats. >> absolutely. >> and now the parade hats. all right. so back to you guys. >> lovely hats. and robin, i like your hat. what do you think of robin's hat? >> i think robin's hat is beautiful. >> she's got a great hat too, robin. don't go too far away. describe a little bit, and i'll describe also what it was like to drive down pennsylvania avenue on this historic day. >> i think we were probably one of the first large vehicles to come through. so people were actually quite excited, waving, throngs of people, i don't saw american flags. you saw old, young, it was really, really neat to see. and it felt for a moment like we were really special. >> we were special, because we had that police escort. we had to get here. they did it for a bunch of journalists. >> they did. >> to move us from capitol hill here to the white house, right behind us. >> right behind us, the viewing stand on the north lawn of the white house, and the white house right behind that. the president is going to be literally right behind us with

the first lady, the daughters. >> the first family. >> they're going to be watching these -- >> all of these people have been waiting here as well for a very long time. it almost feels like we're at a sporting event, because i think i saw some people doing the wave. they're now doing cheers. they're all trying to pump themselves up. >> when we walked in. jeffrey toobin has been here for a while as well. jeffrey, as you take a look at this situation, you appreciate what is going on. >> absolutely. and, you know we have jimmy carter to thank for a really wonderful modern tradition. he was the one who first got out of his car and started walking. >> no, no, he walked the whole way. >> right, right. >> he didn't get out. he walked from capitol hill with rosalynn carter. and they walked all the way to the white house. >> no no one has done that since. but they have all, i believe with the exception of george w. bush in 2001 when the weather was very bad, they all get out and walk. it really is a chance to see the president for people out here at a pretty close level. it does make the security people

somewhat nervous, because even though pennsylvania avenue is a wide street, it's not that wide. and so if you're at the curb, you can see him very closely. >> christi paul is right in the middle of what is going on. christi, where are you? >> marine four, coast guard. >> okay. >> christi, if you can hear me, where are you? >> wolf, i want to tell you about something we noticed here. if you take a look down at not just security as we've been talking about, but the five branchs of the military have representatives that are out here from 9:00 in the morning until this parade will finish. and they do rotate. with us is captain udine. captain, thank you so much for being here. this has got to be such an honor. you're not here as part of security, right? >> correct, ma'am. we're simply here to pay respect to the president of the united states. >> so what is it like to stand out here? tell me about the honor and how you're chosen. >> for each of the service members, we're actually volunteering to do this. so it's definitely han honor. we don't get the privilege of

doing this every four years because our assignments are so short. so those of us that are able to be here, it's definitely an honor to see the president of the united states, honor him as being reelected as commander in chief. when he come downs he we will come to attention. >> you rotate how often? >> every 20 to 30 minutes for each service member so they can warm up in a tent and a designated bill and come back and maintain our position until the president comes up. >> and how is everybody holding up? it hasn't been too bad today. >> no, it hasn't. were very grateful. the sun is out now. so we're very excited about it. >> captain, thank you so much for being with us. thank you for your service to you and all the service members out here. again, they're interspersed as you see with all the security detail. all the service members here are from the d.c. area. i know you can hear the music there too. the announcer has been getting everybody here ready for the last probably half hour. he started at one end, and the crowds here, because we're

toward the end of the parade route. we can see the presidential area where the president and mrs. obama, first lady, are going to stop with the vice president. and they're going to be sitting right down probably about 50 yards from us. but they've all been doing the wave, because they're all -- all the crowds here are saying hey, we're going to be the loudest. so the announcer has been egging everybody on. you just happened to catch us at a time when they stopped. but that's okay, because if they had kept going, you wouldn't be able to whatever me anyway, wolf. >> we can hear you because you have a good strong microphone over there we're sitting right across from the reviewing stand. we're anxious to see the president and the first lady. they'll show up here. we'll see what is going on together. don lemon is right in the middle of the action as well. don, where are you? >> you see me, wolf? i'm waving at you. >> very good. >> there is a jib way on the other side of the street on the balcony of the museum. i'm on the other side of pennsylvania avenue. hey, everybody, wave to wolf blitzer. say hello.

hi, wolf. people here from stone mountain near me where i live in atlanta. say hi. >> hello. >> how long are you been here? >> since saturday. >> are you enjoying it? >> i am. >> the weather turned out to be warmer. >> it did. >> and you're from my hometown? >> that's right, baton rouge, louisiana. >> and i've got some folks here from st. louis. [ cheering ] st. louis in the house. this is such a cool -- mississippi is in the house as well. this is such a cool shot, wolf, that we have from the museum. we can basically go all the way up and down pennsylvania avenue. the capitol is that way. the entire parade route is 1.5 miles that goes that way. and this is? >> shante. >> shante and. >> thurman. >> turn the cameras so they can see you. you're from l.a. >> yes. >> and you've been here since? >> saturday. >> since saturday. how long have you been out here? >> since at least 12:30. >> are you hoping the president and the first lady will get out right here? >> of course, of course. >> are you going to try to shake their hands? >> i'll take a head nod or anything i can get. >> are you a woman of fashion as

well like the first lady? >> not as fashionable as she is. she is amazing. >> what did you think of her outfit? >> oh, my gosh, it was totally amazing. >> and the bangs? >> the bangs are it. 2013 style of the year. >> can you believe how big the girls are? they are so tall now. we've watched them grow up. >> they're getting big. very proud of them. >> so where are you guys from? >> boston, massachusetts. >> all over. thank you, guys. thank you, guys. it's so loud out here. wolf, i'm going to walk over here behind the trees, so i'm going to be out of range for a little bit. listen, again, this goes all the way down. last time four years ago, they got out a little bit farther down, a little farther down closer to freedom plaza to where you are. but right here when they got towards the museum, the crowds were really loud, and they were egging them out to get out of the car, to get out of the limo. they didn't. there is a reviewing stand over here as we make our way down. hello, sir. how are you? where are you from? >> washington, d.c. ten blocks from the white house. >> ten blocks!

hi, how are you? good to see you. nice to meet you, nice to meet you. and we have members too of our armed forces who are out here. again, another reviewing stand, wolf. i think you guys are saying toss back to you. but we will be here. we are hoping that the president and the first lady will get out here. and if they do, we'll be here, wolf. back to you. >> don lemon, he's got a lot of friend over there on pennsylvania avenue near the museum of art. you see the vice president, dr. jill biden. they're going through the rotunda now. they'll be going outside with the president, the first lady, the speaker, the majority leader, the minority leaders as well. they'll be walking down the stairs, and they're going to be reviewing the troops, in effect saluting the troops, saying thank you so much for everything the men and women of the united states military do. this is the last official act, jeffrey toobin, that the president and the first lady will do before they get into the motorcade, the presidential limo, to take them on that

route. down pennsylvania avenue from the capitol all the way over to the white house. and for those people who know washington, they're going to go down pennsylvania avenue. they're going to make a right turn at 15 street, they'll go up 15 street and make a left, come up to where we are right here, this reviewing stand here on the north lawn of the white house. >> you know, when president kennedy made this trip in 1961, he was so appalled by the conditions along the way, that the buildings were falling down, he actually said we have to get this area improved. and it took a long time. daniel patrick moynihan was later the senator from new york. he was responsible for trying to revive pennsylvania avenue. and it is so difficult and so much improved than it was much earlier. but it was an inaugural parade that had very significant effect. >> here they come, the president and the first lady. they're pretty happy right now. they're going through the statuary hall. they're going to be walking down the stairs, saluting the men and

women of the united states military. and as they do that, let's remember, kate, that there are still almost 70,000, about 65,000 u.s. troops still serving in afghanistan right now. all u.s. troops are out of iraq. but this are still about 60, 65,000 u.s. troops in afghanistan, all of them in harm's way. all u.s. troops are supposed to be out of afghanistan by the end of 2014. maybe they can accelerate that withdrawal a little bit. but as the president and the first lady, they go down the stairs, let's remember those men and women who remain in harm's way in afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. there is still a lot of serious issues throughout north africa, the middle east, in asia. still about 25,000, 30,000 u.s. troops along the dmz, the dede militarized zone. let's not forget those troops. >> we're reminded of it every day in the headlines what a

dangerous world this is and mao our troops are protecting us. we're awaiting the president and the first lady, as well as joe biden, the vice president, dr. biden to review the military and then get into their cars to start the fun, as we like to say. jeffrey, i wanted to ask you your thoughts on the oath this time around. >> you know, it was chief justice's fondest hope. he is not the story today. it was a flawless performance on his part. >> they did a really good job. anderson, they're going to be moving down pennsylvania avenue toward you guys. you might even be able to look to your right a little bit, and you might see the parade, the floats, the bands, and the president going out. >> that's right. and our dana bash is with secretary of defense leon panetta while president obama is about to review the troops. let's actually take a look and just listen.

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♪ ♪ >> as we listen to the fife and drum, let's go to dana, a very,

very special guest, and and appropriate one. >> this is case where it's better to be lucky than good. we do have the secretary of defense with us right now as we are watching the commander in chief review the troops. you are the departing defense secretary. but you obviously have a front row seat to the president's relationship those people who he is honoring right now. >> he has really had a terrific relationship with the military. he has been very supportive. his wife, of course, and jill biden have been very supportive of benefits for our wounded warriors and for their families. and because of that, i think the troops really have a very high regard for him. and it's important. because, frankly, these young men and women have to go into battle, put their lives on the line. and to have the president of the united states be able to back you 100%, you can't beat that. >> you are -- this is the beginning of the president's second term. you are leaving. what do you hope to see in the second term from afar from your winery in northern california?

>> well, you know, i think it's really important that they provide some budget certainty here. we're going through obviously a deficit reduction. it's important the defense play its role. but we fashion a strategy that protects the united states as the strongest military power on earth. if the congress allows the guester to go in or the budget cuts impact, i think that will do incredible damage to our defense. >> and real quick, one of the first official acts the president did in his second term was to officially nominate your successor, chuck hagel. it is pretty controversial up here. it looks like he'll get through. but do you feel some of the criticism is warranted? >> no, you know, i know chuck hagel. and i'm very confident that first of all, he'll win confirmation. and, you know, we'll get some tough questions, but there is no question in my mind he'll be able to handle it. that's what secretary of defenses have to do. >> and the mood in there? >> it was great mood. >> okay. thank you for stopping. good luck to you. back to you, wolf. >> thank you very much. the president and the first lady, the vice president, the

second lady. they have wrapped up their review of the troops. a nice gesture to wrap up an historic day on capitol hill. they're now in the presidential limos. the motorcade is getting ready to leave to depart capitol hill. and this will be the official start of the parade. they will go down pennsylvania avenue. they'll drive for a little while. but at some point, they will stop. they will get out. we are told the crowds will go crazy. they have been waiting for hours and hours on both sides of pennsylvania avenue. security is intense, obviously, for good reasons. but this is one of the most exciting moments. and, you know, kate, as we get ready to see the start of this parade, you've been doing a lot of research on the floats and the marching bands. give us a little preview. i am so excited, because i know -- >> i know you are. >> the floats especially are going to be great. >> the floats are going to be fabulous. in all there are some 8800 people that are going to be involved with this parade. also, you might want to know some 200 animals involved with the parade. >> really? >> really. >> what kind of animals?

like horses? >> my research did not go that far. >> sorry. >> but stand by. it's a surprise. we also have eight official inaugural floats that include honoring the home states of both the obamas as well as the bidens. so we will see those. and those will be very creative. >> that will be hawaii, illinois, and delaware. >> exactly, among others. so we're waiting for those. 59 groups, marching bands galore that we are going to be looking for. so there is going to be a lot going on. it's going to be fun. it's going to be a celebration. and some odd numbers that i have here. 41 is the number of unicyclists that we will be seeing. >> wow. anderson, i don't know about you, but yesterday we had a preview of the grambling state university marching band. they were playing with you and with me right over there on the national mall. they're going to be playing for the entire world momentarily as this parade gets under way. >> that's right. they're the lead band in the parade. it's their third time in an inaugural parade to lead it off.

grambling state of course is from central louisiana. a lot of folks in louisiana are going to be very excited to hear that. jessica yellin, you and i were talking before about the movie "lincoln" and the impact that has had on president obama. i don't think a lot of people realized the extent to which he has been quoting it around the white house. >> it's true, anderson. he has said that abraham lincoln is his favorite president. but since this movie has come out, and he screened it in the white house movie theater, he has been quoting not just abraham lincoln himself, but actually lines from the movie. and in jest, i should say he is doing it somewhat ironically. but the reason he likes lincoln so much is lincoln is sort of the ultimate fighter, the president who unified a nation during a time of incredible division. and so all presidents look to him as the one who persevered through the worst. so no one wants to compare themselves to him, because it

would not be humble. so they're always careful to say they don't. but, you know, they like to quote him. so president obama, i'm told, has been quoting him a lot. and especially daniel day lewis. and daniel day lewis was there at a dinner the residence with a lot of the cast. >> this is going to be very exciting for all the people who have been on the national mall, who now have gone to the parade ground. we see the president approaching starting the parade route. they, the first family will take their seats and then watch as the rest of the parade goes by. >> this is the pivot point of the day. now we go to celebration. we have a parade. a celebration for the president and the vice president, but also for the country. you mentioned the variety, the diversity of the floats and the bands and overs who have participated in the parade. then you have the balls tonight. so we're pivoting now to the celebration, which the country deserves, and which the winners of the election, the president and the vice president very much deserve. a big question in my mind, what we have seen in the last few hours, the spirit of friendliness and cooperation, and all the right things were

said. let's circle back in a week or three and see even if on a few things, on a few things they can sustain it and show we're going to fight over this, but we made some progress here. we're going to fight over that, but we made some progress here. the trust deficit, margaret spoke about that earlier, that's the biggest deficit in town. you can't solve the financial deficit until they solve the trust deficit. maybe it's hopeful idealism. but maybe they made a small down payment today. >> i with us also thinking as i was watching the president review the troops, and you heard leon panetta talk about the first lady and jill biden and how much they have done for their troops and their families. but i'm willing thinking coming into this next phase, this is going to be a president that could have some difficult relationships with generals. he has always been concerned about the generals and not being overtaken by them. and he has spoken an awful lot about that as presidents have to make their own decisions, not be

led too much by the generals. i think the nomination of chuck hagel is somebody who was a sergeant, whom he believes comes at the pentagon from the view of the bottom of the ladder, not at the top of the ladder. and so i think you're going to have some real issues. >> general stanley mcchrystal wrote about that actually in his new book. he talked about the deficit of trust they had early on in the administration. let's go back to wolf, who is waiting down by the white house, down by the parade grounds. wolf? >> you can see the presidential limo, anderson, just beginning to move slowly. you see the secret service van right behind that presidential limo there. obviously very tight security. the vice president is there, and the president and the first lady. they are being accompanied by what is initially called the presidential escort. these are the parades, performing groups organized into five division, each led by one branch of the u.s. armed forces, the army, the marine corps, the navy and the air force and yes,

the coast guard as well, even though the coast guard is part of the department of homeland security, not a part of the department of defense. it is one of the five branchs of the u.s. armed forces as it is considered on this date. in addition to these five armed forces, army, navy, marine corps, air force and coast guard, there will also be representatives of the washington, d.c. metropolitan police. they will be participating in this presidential escort as it's called as this parade begins. they've got to line up everyone. they've got to get everybody going, kate, to make sure that they're all ready to go. because once they start moving, they don't want to have to stop again. >> there is no stopping they want to do. >> right. they don't want to stop. they want to keep on going. so they're lining everyone up. and it's all extrem extremely w coordinated. division one united states army, the color guard, the various national guard units. but then there is a marching ban

from the punaloa marching band. >> that is in honolulu, hawaii that is the high school that president obama graduated from in 1979. so there is a lot of -- this is all planned down to the very float. everyone waiting to see where and when and whether president obama and possibly the first lady will be getting out of that limo. you know that is the moment when the secret service all hold their breath. >> everybody gets a little nervous for good reasons. and that's why, jeffrey toobin, there has been such incredible security. >> you can see it right there. look at that. >> you see the police over there. they're lined up. they're going to be -- what a show of force. that freshl escopresidential fo impressive. >> the security in washington is so dramatically different from when you first came here, when i first started visiting

washington. the post-9/11 security is a completely different order of magnitude. all those people we will see along the route pass through metal detectors to be allowed to stand where they are. so it's not like this is just some random crowds on the street. there are no reserve seats along most of the ways, but everybody has been through at least some form of screening. >> and once you go down pennsylvania avenue and you see many of those office buildings on both sides of pennsylvania avenue, every one of those buildings has been secured. as they say, they've been swept to make sure that everything is quiet inside and that there is nothing that could really happen that would endanger anyone in this parade. >> security is absolutely tops. i'm sure if it's a building with a parking garage, every car had to be out of the garage. we know there are many that line pennsylvania avenue that have all been closed for a very good reason. for as we watch this all begin. so it's looking right now it's moving very slowly, but for good

reason. everyone wants a chance to wave at the first family. >> i like the secret service guys who walk as the motorcade moves. these guys are very, very -- they're in excellent shape, i got to tell you, excellent condition. because sometimes that car begins to move a little more quickly, so they start running a little bit. by the way, you see in front of the presidential limo, you see some photographers. those are some journalists. they have unique access. so we're going to be able to -- >> yeah, they themselves have quite the setup. >> as we watch this parade begin and the police escort, military escort just getting under way, it's all very choreographed, dana bash has another special guest with her. dana? >> that's right. the majority lead other telephone house, eric cantor, thank you very much. you not only are the majority leader in the house, but you also were a chair, a co-chair of the joint inaugural committee. so you're very much involved in the process here. you had a front row seat. let's just start with your partisan reaction, frankly.

what did you think of the speech? >> look, today is a day for all of us in this country to come together. it was a swearing in, the inaugural of our commander in chief. and, you know, it really doesn't matter who i don't voted for, which side you're on. today is a day we can all come together. and i think that the president's speech was one that spoke to some of the aspirations that he has for this country. i think many of us share in what he spoke about, which is trying to help folks who haven't necessarily benefitted from upward mobility in the past. >> now, you are being very generous. i think this is traditionally a nonpartisan day. but some republicans out there in the twitter verse are saying they thought the president's inaugural address was too aggressive, too overly partisan, too liberal. >> you know, i think that the president did a fine job, certainly laying out what he would like to see happen as far as the future of the country. you know, there are plenty of areas of disagreement. but there also some things

fundamentally we agree on. and that is this country is one of opportunity. and it's sort of the way we get there to help everybody, there are some differences. hopefully we can bridge those differences. >> you're our fly on the wall for two behind the scenes moments i want to ask you about. first, right over there, the martin luther king statue. the president was talking about some things. what was he saying? >> first of all, he said it was the first time he had ever seen the statue, and stopped. and obviously today is also martin luther king day. very symbolic given it is the inaugural for barack obama as well. but, you know, i think it was just recognition there of the importance that martin luther king has played not only for, you know, the african-american community in this country, but for all of us. >> and then the lunch that you helped put on, for 45 minutes, we couldn't see it. it went dark. you were inside. what happened? >> you know, it's a very nice lunch. it is really a continuum of the spirit of the day where both sides come together.

there is bipartisan representation at the tables. there is legislative branch, judicial branch, executive branch, all sharing tables. and just nothing but good. hopefully, that kind of cooperative spirit can continue. >> and last, four years ago the president accused of not socializing, didn't eat. we heard he socialized the whole time. did he eat or socialize? >> yes. and i think one sort of indicated he was the reason for the delay in the program because he went to every table and shook every hand. >> very interesting, very interesting. maybe it's a new day. we'll see. for both parties. back to you, wolf. >> ask him, dana, if he can't hear me, ask him how long this good will is going to last. >> wolf wants to know how long the goodwill is going to last. >> i said you and i both dana would say to wolf we hope that this lasts and that we can focus on solutions, bridging differences, setting aside differences and trying to focus on what we have in common as americans. >> there you go. there is your answer, wolf. >> it sound good to me. let's see if they can do that. if they can, that would be encouraging to everyone in the

country. thank the majority leader from all of us. all right. here is the presidential limo. you can see it just beginning, slowly, very, very slowly to move. it's not moving quickly for a simple reason they've got to get everyone organized behind. they really real hi want to make sure everything is well coordinated. they've been rehearsing this. they've been practicing it. and there is a lot of choreography. don lemon, where are you? you have a good seat over there. >> i do. i'm right in front of the museum. and we just saw the motorcycle officers come in front of us. and now we're just starting to see the color guard and then the military band. and it's really just sort of the warm-up. the people here are getting really excited because they're anticipating of course the president and the first lady to come by in the motorcade. so it's moving really slow, wolf. but people are patient. but they are anticipating, again, the president and the first lady to come by. and every once in a while you get a big roar and a big cheer that goes up when they think,

when they see a black limo or they see a suv and they think it's the president and the first lady. but again, the military band coming by now, the ceremonial guard. you can hear the announcement in the background coming by. i'm standing by with two little friend here, a-year-old and a 7-year-old. right here in front of the barricade, and we're waiting. you guys are excited? >> he is 9. >> he is 9. >> i'm 8. >> and. and they're from georgia. they're correcting me. they're a lot smarter than me today. we're all waiting. we're standing by, wolf, just like you guys are. >> they're moving slowly, don. they'll get to you pretty soon. you're at the sixth and pennsylvania. a little first and second. you've got a little while to go. they're going to pass the canadian embassy before they reach you. you know what? our own jim acosta has got an unbelievable view of what is going on. jim, tell our viewers exactly where you are. >> wolf, i'm on constitution

avenue right now just before we make that turn on to pennsylvania avenue. and you can just see some of the folks who are lined up along this parade route. they're very excited, obviously. not only to see the president, but they're also waving to our truck as well. but just to give our viewers a sense of what is happening right now. i'm on the become of a flatbed truck along with the other representatives of the national news media. and we're basically going to do what is called the dance. we're all going to take turns getting in front of the president's limo, getting a shot of the president and mrs. obama. should they get out and walk at some point we all hope they will, we'll be in position to bring that to you. and just to pick up on what we were talking about earlier today about the parade and everything that goes into the makings of this parade, i was talking to the long-time announcer for this parade, charlie broughtman who said president obama is different when it comes to thesing a new rals. his inaugurals from the heart. president obama and mrs. obama seem to want to bring in groups

from all over the country. this is their chance. almost sort of like the message that the president was talking about today, that everybody in this country gets a chance. everybody's got a shot. we're seeing some of that reflected this parade, wolf. >> we certainly are. so you really got a great view of what is going on. they're moving very, very slowly, aren't they, jim? i don't know if jim can still hear me maybe he can't. >> yes, wolf, i hear you. >> the presidential motorcade is moving very slowly. you know what? here is what i want to do. i'm going to leave the picture up during a commercial break. we'll take a quick break. you'll see the parade continue. we'll be right back. maybe when we come back, we'll see the president and the first lady and sasha and malia if they want to, they'll get out of that limo and wave a little bit. let's take a quick break.

all right. the parade is under way right now. the presidential limo, you see it right there. it's moving down pennsylvania avenue, and not far away is our own don lemon. don, can you see the limo yet from where you are? >> i can -- i'm trying to look over the barricade and see the limo. we're between constitution and sixth on pennsylvania avenue, wolf. and, you know, it's pretty cool, i have to admit, all the years that we've been covering it. i'm sure you will agree here. no matter how often you see it, to see all -- they just announced the president of the united states, getting closer. they said the first lady of the united states and the president of the united states coming close to where we are now. so they're getting really close

here. but to see all of the state troopers and officers from all over the united states and to see the diversity in the crowd here, and people from all over the world. i mean, it just makes you feel good about being an american here. and just to see the number of people who were here. and in this information age, every single person, to a person, everyone has an ipad out or an iphone, and they're taking pictures and they're taking video. and now they're announcing the vice president and the second lady of the united states. and wolf, i'm able to see people on top of trucks. and i think it's media. it's probably one of the trucks that jim acosta is on top of. we're getting a look at them going by. and so they are in front of the motorcade of the president of the united states. and i see jim acosta, as a matter of fact. so i would imagine, yep, the president is making his way right past where we are. and there is jim acosta.

the president right now at constitution avenue and pennsylvania avenue. and you can hear the crowd where we are. >> hey, jim acosta, if you can hear me, jim acosta, can you see don lemon? >> turn around, right behind you, i'm waving. to your left. a little more to the left. right here, jim, right here, jim. right in front of you. >> hey, there is don lemon right there. how are you doing, don? you're looking good. with all your friends. >> i see jim. and right behind him, there he is. there is the president in his motorcade. >> don lemon, you're a man of the people. >> yes. >> but you have a lot of people with you. what do they think? what do they say? talk to some of them. >> what do you think? >> this is really great. i'm really excited to be here. >> and looking at the motorcade of the president and the first lady? >> it's crazy. i can't believe we're actually here. i'm really happy i came. this is very exciting. >> where are you from? >> i'm from maryland.

>> screaming your head off! >> yes. we're from atlanta. and so this is the once-in-a-lifetime country. we were here for the first one. >> and you're here again? >> and we're here again. >> you wanted them to get out? >> oh, i want them to get out so badly. do you think it's going to happen? >> they're going by now. i don't think it's going to happen if they're going by now. >> i know, i know. >> what did you think about the speech today? >> i thought it with awesome. i thought it was an electric morning. yet was electric. they had everything prepared for us. we felt really safe. it's been an awesome experience. there are 19 who came up. >> he talked a lot about diversity, equality. he mentioned gay rights. he mentioned the environment and on this martin luther king day. >> yes. it's just exceptional. to see so much diversity when we were out on the lawn.

there were so many different people there. everyone looked different. but we all got along really well. we were all excited. so it was just an awesome opportunity. >> yeah. and i second that. it is an awesome opportunity. do you agree with what she said? >> i second it completely. i think it was an awesome day. we -- again, the focus was on the united states and making it better, making it a great place, continuing to make it prosperous and fantastic. >> listen, we know it's a second time. this is a next inauguration. but did you ever think in your lifetime you would see an african-american president? >> i absolutely did. >> you did? >> yes. and i knew i would be the catalyst for getting him there! [ laughter ] >> that's confidence, wolf blitzer, that's confidence. >> you're having way too much fun over there, don lemon. stand by. i'm going to get back to robin meade. it looks like the presidential motorcade is getting closer and closer to where you are. >> it is. and if you look at the crowd where i am, they're pretty subdued, i think, as they're waiting. i want to show you this moment

they're going to change is when the announcer over here announces that the presidential motorcade is getting very close. so they're very quiet. do you see the people in the red hats? they're all volunteers. i'm pretty sure that probably they have an official duty. but -- >> hey, robin, hold on for one second, because jim acosta is on the platform vehicle right in front of the president's limo. jim, what are you seeing? >> wolf, i can see right into the president's limo right now. i can see the president of the united states waving to people along pennsylvania avenue here. it's a stirring sight. the capitol lit up by the afternoon sun off in the background, and the president just two vehicles behind us right now. and as we're going down pennsylvania avenue, i saw -- [ cheering ] -- our colleague earlier. you can probably hear over my microphone right now, wolf, the announcers are coming down pennsylvania avenue announcing the president of the united states, announcing the first lady. at that moment, everybody just starts cheering and starts

celebrating. it's really something else. >> jim acosta, you're going right by robin meade. >> i'm right behind you. >> robin, how are you? >> with the big hat. hey, how are you? don't you have the view of the day! >> i do, yes, i do. >> wave to this crowd. >> what do you see from where you are? >> it's fun to watch the mood change, yeah. okay. so you're closer than us. what can you see inside the vehicle, jim? >> robin, what i can see earlier, i distinctly saw the president of the united states smiling with that very big teethy smile that he has, looking very happy, waving to the folks up and down pennsylvania avenue. >> well, you know, these people want him to get out. >> everybody is waiting to see, robin, when does the president get out. that's what we're all waiting for. >> bye, jim. >> ladies and gentlemen, the vice president of the united states, joe biden and dr. jill biden. >> that's something we're hearing as we make our way down pennsylvania avenue. >> hey robin, can you see the

motorcade already? >> i can definitely see the motorcade. they're right in front of us. and the round is cheering. >> maybe you can wave to the president. >> you know, they are busy waving. let's see if i can get a free hand from my microphone. and mrs. obama is very easy to see right now because the sun is setting, and it's shining into the car. so we can see her kind of looking back and waving. and the crowd loves it. there is a lot of cell phones out, and a lot of cameras out. isn't it funny how we live the moment, but we also photograph it now. >> of course we do. so robin, what street are you on right now? where are you? i want to get a sense of how close you are to where we are near the north lawn of the white house of the reviewing stand. >> yeah. so i'm at pennsylvania and seventh, pennsylvania and seventh. and that motorcade just went by. >> good. all right. so he is moving. they're making some pretty good progress, kate, as we see what is going on. seventh, they got to go up to 15th. they'll make a right at 15th. i know they're getting closer and closer. they went from don lemon to robin meade.

and erin, where are you? pretty soon you're going to see the president. >> we're here on pennsylvania and 13th. an we can watch them coming closer and closer, look behind us, you can see. they're coming. one thing here we have united states military starting to come by. i think is so amazing about the united states having the best military in the world, brianna. 20 inches a step, 110 steps a minute. that's what they do, every one of them. >> and i think it's fantastic that they're here kicking off the parade. because even though this parade has become such a formal affair, it's really the military that has been a part of it from the first time that the inauguration parade took place here in washington, d.c. in 1801 with thomas jefferson. it was a very spontaneous affair, though. a company of riflemen. >> hold on. it looks like the presidential limo has just stopped. i suspect we are about to see the president and the first lady getting out of that limo. let's just watch and listen for a second as we see what happens. [ cheering ]

>> members of the united states armed forces -- >> and it's getting hard to hear you down here because the cheers are so loud. but wolf and everybody, you can see just behind me, just behind that limo is the president of the united states and michelle obama walking down pennsylvania avenue, waving to the crowd on both sides of the street. the president and the first lady don't look very cold. it's not that cold today for our viewers who are wondering is it as cold as some inaugurals can be. no, it's not. this is actually pretty balmy for january. and obviously, this is the moment that everybody is waiting for on inauguration day when the president and the first lady step out of their limo and walk down pennsylvania avenue.

you know, i feel like i should pinch myself right now, wolf. i can't believe i have this vantage point of history inhe making. >> you're literally what, about 15, 20 feet away from the president? >> i'm probably a good i would say 50 feet away from the president right now, wolf. >> oh, i see. >> very, very close. and you can see the secret service agents all around them. there is a steady cam next to them as well. i guess those are folks getting some really close shots. their vantage point is slightly better than ours, wolf. that's the pool camera right there. but what we're all doing right now, where we are standing and other folks with the national news media, they're on the backs of these trucks. we're all doing this sort of dance right now. and we just got lucky enough, wolf, to be in position where our truck was right in front of the president and first lady as they're walking down pennsylvania avenue. so just the luck of the draw. but it worked out pretty well. in fact, as you can see, every time he passes, another block of

people line up along the street. the cheers just go up on both sides of pennsylvania avenue. and every once in a while i feel like i have to look back and see it for myself, wolf. trying to take some pictures along the way. something for the kids at home. >> you're taking pictures. i assume you're tweeting system of those pictures at jimacosta@cnn, is that right? is that your twitter handle? i don't know if he can hear me. but you know what? he is very excited. we're all very excited to see what is going on. but, you know, kate, jeffrey, we may be excited, but the folks who have been waiting for hours. >> hours. >> on both sides of the street, they're seeing history right now. and they are thrilled. >> some of our correspondents that have been on the parade route have said people have been there since 2:30 in the morning to try to get a good position. i mean, this is what all of these folks are waiting for. and i think as we're watching, as they're getting out of the car, you could see people rushing to try to get to the very spot just to get a glimpse of them. i mean, this is history in the

making. these are these images that we look back on years and years later. >> erin burnett is out there on pennsylvania avenue as well. he is making his way closer and closer, erin, towards you, together with the first lady. you're there with a special guest. >> yes, we hoping that he will stay out long enough to get here. obviously, the entire crowd is as well. joe z joins us, the creative director at "elle" magazine. we're looking at michelle obama and i think the tragedy today is she has to give that coat away to the national archives. >> you can tell it's literally been molded on to her body. >> she looks, it's absolutely beautiful. of course in her traditional style, as -- a very modern style. she's got a j. crew belt with -- >> that brown coat, upwards of $10,000. it was custom done for her. you couldn't even find it if you

wanted to. only one exists and right now it's on mrs. obama. >> when i looked it up, it's men's wear. not a lot of -- >> short pants is really his trademark. >> she has made designers like jason woo for example become more of a household name in this country. a custom made dress from a guy that's not known for women's wear. will it transform his career? >> i mean, right away this morning, you could tell he was a trending topic immediately on twitter. he's the buzz on everybody's lips. the thing is, it does translate to buzz. does it translate to business? i think it's tougher when it comes to luxury brands like thom browne. >> what about the coordination of the family? it's a family affair today. >> it is. their daughters are like mini mes of michelle. and they're gorgeous, all of them, they're so color coordinated, down to the final color. >> we want to listen to the crowds cheering here as the president and the first lady are

walking. you can feel you're a part of this at home. here it is. [ cheers and applause ]

and the president is now just about a block away from where we are here on pennsylvania avenue. so getting closer and closer. joe, another thing i wanted to ask you about, is obviously she looks absolutely stunning now. she's going to be tonight, you said -- they're announcing as he's getting closer. we can't quite see him. she would have had several dresses custom designed for tonight, correct? >> she's had about 15 different designers commissioned for a potential gown. >> but none of them know, not even the winner knows what she's going to wear? >> absolutely not. it's been really her protocol to really wear the dress she wants to wear and people find out by watching. >> you think she definitely chooses an american designer for tonight? >> my bets are 100% on an american designer, absolutely. >> what might some of the options be? >> she's commissioned designers like decoon, definitely jason woo who designed her last gown, tori birch. there's a handful of indy, real new names that she wants to

champion. >> she's already known as a stylish person and a style icon but she's got a new look going now. it's a svelte, sleek, modern hip look. >> and the bangs, let's not forget the bangs. >> bangs are often very difficult for women to pull off. >> she looks very modern in them. >> i want to bring in jim acosta. we can see you, you're getting closer and closer. are they getting back in now or what do you see, jim? >> they are. i think they're getting back in. i could just barely make out the president and the first lady from my vantage point because of the positioning of these trucks but i believe he has gotten back inside his limo. you could also hear the effects of that because the cheers sort of went down along pennsylvania avenue. obviously the folks who are on this end of the parade route are going to be a little disappointed that the president isn't walking the entire route. but it was very exciting there, erin, for a good, i would say, half a mile of this trip down

pennsylvania avenue, to see the president, the first lady, walking on foot, greeting people on both sides. one thing that we could make out and you could sort see it in these windows, just over my shoulder, just people with their noses pressed up against the glass, waving. you could see the president sort of looking up at them and waving to them as well. clapping his hands. waving to people as he goes by. trying to acknowledge each and every person who has lined up along this parade route, to show his appreciation. erin. >> yes, and obviously here, they're a little subdued, they're a little sad he just got back in. you may recall, last time, in the first inauguration, he got out twice and walked each time for between 6 and 8 minutes. so obviously there's a possibility he could get out one more time. right behind me over my shoulder now we are seeing the beast, as it's called, the president's car, approach. you can see in the shot behind